Hergest Ridge

With the holiday season getting near, I’ve been asked on many occasions what I might fancy for a gift. Please, don’t buy me anything. I have enough crap and am sick of stuff. Honest.

Instead, please donate to one of these causes, keep the tax receipt, and buy yourself a tall cool one with the tax savings. Really. You deserve it.

The old list was replaced November 9, 2007.

The addendum that follows the new list was written December 2.

• Alzheimer Society of Manitoba or go directly to their donation form.
• Winnipeg Humane Society, also with an online donation form (leave the frequency option blank for a one time donation).
• Canadian Cancer Society via their donation form.

Addendum: Mark Twain said that to refuse an award is another way of accepting it with more noise than is normal. Does the tenet extend to not accepting gifts? Likely there are situations where such is the case, and I assure you that mine is not.

Simply put, the grand majority of things I originally asked for would now do little else but collect dust – making this realisation without ever owning the items on the list is where I got the idea that I don’t need them. With what I already own, I don’t find enough hours in the day to make use of. I still have two unopened video games from the past holiday season (and a total of five not yet played), about 10 books I can’t wait to read and just as many movies that await their turn in my DVD player.

I’m just breaking in my guitar – also one of the many gifts from the previous year – and are always looking for more time to write the blog, my two short stories (with ideas for many more), and my book.

I accept and share the notion that giving to loved ones is one of life’s many pleasures, but believe that even more pleasure can be derived from an afternoon or evening spent together over a favourite drink. I also believe that supporting the causes I list is bound to result in even more happiness in the lives of beings much less fortunate than you and me.