Target 8:30 on Tuesday morning, Burl Ives was crooning his rendition of "Rudolph the red nosed reindeer" over the sound system. It was seniors day at Target with Santa and elves posing for random pictures and the elderly peering over the handle bar of the carts they pushed through the store.
At checkout, a clerk and a shopper were grousing about how the excitement was over for Christmas. They were facing the prospect of shopping for items that would be deemed inadequate on Christmas day
This time of the year with the exception of Valentine's day (where women give report cards on male thoughtfulness) is a time of great emotional risk. We had better buy the right present or run the risk of disappointing. We stress over the amount of money we should spend on a gift as it has come to symbolize our feelings toward that person. People are afraid that they won't measure up.
How do we cope? We compensate. Overbuying, and spending agonizing hours finding the "right gift". What do we buy for people who have everything?
Which might explain the rise of gift cards. The latest one I saw at Target doubled as a mp3 player. Others bark and sing, which appeals to the kid in us. They are a delight to wrap and mail.
With the pressure to get something that our loved ones will enjoy, the only stress left is to figure out the dollar amount that says "I care about you this much!".
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