by Alright folks, buckle up because figuring out decent presents for December 8th birthdays felt like trying to herd cats. Seriously. My neighbor’s kid, Jamie, born on December 8th, was turning 16 and my wife wouldn’t let me just shove cash in an envelope. “Be thoughtful,” she said. Right. Challenge accepted, I guess.
Starting Simple (And Failing)
First thought? Hit the stores. Easy peasy. Wrong. Wandering around the mall was torture. Everything screamed generic. Cheap gadgets, boring clothes, meaningless knickknacks. Stopped at a “zodiac gift” kiosk. Big mistake. The lady insisted Sagittarius folks needed a cheap brass horse statue. Ugh. Jamie’s not into horse statues. Felt like a total waste of time. My feet were killing me.
Actually Talking to People? What a Concept!
Finally used my brain. Duh. Talked to Jamie’s mom. Got the real scoop. Kid’s obsessed with space photography lately. Spends hours looking at nebula pictures. Also loves hiking with their dog. Okay, now we’re cooking. Way more useful than that brass horse nonsense.
Putting It Together (For Real This Time)
Scrapped the mall idea entirely. Hit the bookshop instead. Found this stunning coffee table book packed with deep space images taken by the Hubble telescope. Perfect. But still felt like it needed something else. Remembered the hiking part. Found a cool, personalized compass engraved with constellations. Not just any old compass, one actually usable on trails.
The final haul:
- The Book: Heavy hardcover thing with pictures that look like you’re falling into space. Awesome.
- The Compass: Sturdy, useful, and actually relevant to Sagittarius’ adventurous side. Who knew?
- No Horse Statues Involved: A personal victory.
Wrapping It Up (Literally)
Got home, threw the book and compass into gift bags (fancy wrapping is not my skill). Presented them to Jamie. Kid lit up seeing the space pictures book. Took the compass outside immediately, pretended to navigate the backyard jungle. Even the dog seemed impressed. Mission accomplished. Zero zodiac kitsch. High fives all around.
So yeah, lesson learned? Skip the mall zodiac junk. Ask someone who knows the person. Get something that connects to what they actually do or dream about. Sagittarius wants adventure? Fine. Give them tools for real adventures or fuel for their imagination. Way better than another useless figurine collecting dust.
