Conference quark::human_relations-v1

    Best gift -- a beautiful metal sculpture of a ballet dancer, given
    to me by my brother the year I was really into dancing.  It hit
    just the right note.
    
    The worst -- an electric can opener from an SO on a romantic occasion.
    

    Best:  When I was about 12-13, my older brother gave me tickets
    to the circus for my birthday - tickets for my parents, him, and
    me.  It was a WONDERFUL time - and must've taken a chunk out of
    a 16 year old's savings to do it - and was absolutely a surprise!
    Every time I see circus pictures I think of that outing.
    
    Worst:  I'm having a hard time thinking of one here.  There are
    some things which were given to me which broke quickly - they
    were of poor quality - but I know the giver thought they were
    neat and didn't realize they would break.  I think the only ones
    that I would rank as worst are those that are intended to
    embarrass - like the sex-joke stuff given in public by folks
    you don't know well enough for that type of joke.
    
    --Louise

    Best: my racoon coat, given with only the thought of pleasing me.
    He didn't like it and it cost too much, but it didn't matter.
    
    Worst: household appliances - any.

    Best: A long time ago, in a place very far from home, a pair of
    socks given to me by the Salvation Army.  It was the only Christmas
    present I got that year, but there was nothing I needed more.
    
    Worst: Feeling very grown up at 12 I had started sitting in the
    choir loft when the adult choir sang for high mass on Sundays. I
    sang along and gradually became sort of an accepted unofficial member
    of the choir.  When they had a Christmas party at somebody's house,
    I was invited, and even was given a present.  When I opened it up
    I found it was a wind-up toy monkey that banged two cymbals together.
    I was so mortified at being given a "kid's toy" that I never sat 
    in the choir loft again.

    

	Sometimes the gift that one person hates another would love.

	I bet there are many people that as a kid would just love to
	get a colorful still-working windup cymbal-clanging monkey
	as a present.

/Eric

    Best Gift:  This is a tie, going to two different former SO's.
                The first was a dozen roses.  I had met this fellow
                a month before (he lived in New York, I in Massachusetts).
                He came back to see me a month later, and we fell madly
                in love.  The second morning he was staying, he walked
                around the corner to get the morning paper and
                was gone an inordinately long time.  When he returned,
                he made me breakfast, and when I sat down there  was
                a dozen long stem roses beside my plate. He walked 
                around the corner for the paper - he walked two miles
                out of his way for the roses.  And everytime we were
                together after that, I got a dozen roses sometime during
                the visit. He was the most romantic, sensitive man I
                ever dated.  And he made me feel very special. 
    
    	        The second is the Christmas I was twenty.  I had another
                long distance romance going with a man from Connecticutt.
                We couldn't spend Christmas together, so I drove down
                to stay for a few days afterwards.  We had a second
                "small" Christmas opening our presents then.  To tell
                you the truth, I couldn't list what I got, but they
                were all tastefully picked out and wonderfully frivilous.  
                It was the more the real kick he had obviously gotten
                out of picking them out, giving them to me, and watching
                me open them.  He had my presents hidden in
                the Christmas tree and all over the room, and every
                time I turned around, he was holding another gift for
                me!  We both got so much pleasure out of exchanging
                gifts that year that it was the most wonderful Christmas 
                I'd ever had  - or for that matter, have had since.
    
    
    The Worst:  A Kalimba I got from my husband the first year we
                celebrated Christmas together.  It was an obvious
                last minute, poor quality, hurriedly picked out
                gift.  And that hurt.
                                                               
    
    
    
    Mary-Michael
    
    
    
    Mary-Michael
    

So, did you marry the man with the roses ?  What eventually happened?
Sounds absolutely dreamy!

I'm always fascinated at my own and others conclusions to stories
that *start* so beautifully, and unfortunately don't always
end that way.

/Eric

    I married the man with the Kalimba, believe it or not!
    
    The man with the roses and I only lasted about four 
    months, although I have many, many wonderful memories.
    We made better friends than lovers, I'm afraid.  I couldn't
    adapt to his lifestyle, but we parted and remain very good
    friends.  Last I heard he was an officer in the Army stationed
    in Korea.  He'll make some woman an impressive husband some day!
    
    The gentlemen from Connecticut and I parted on less than healthy
    terms, but patched things up a couple of years later.  Last
    I heard he and his wife were quite happy.
    
    I am also happy to report that my husband sense of gift giving
    has improved considerably over time.  I'm happy to report
    that last Christmas I received a much-wanted dulcimer - *with*
    the instruction book!
    
    Mary-Michael

    WHAT is a kalimba???
    
    Jane

    An ancient African musical instrument you play by hitting
    little bars of metal with your fingers.  It does make an
    interesting sound - when you have a good quality one and
    an instruction both that shows you how to play it.
    
    Mary-Michael