On Gift Giving and an Experience

I have way too much stuff. I know it's too much stuff because there is no way I can justify it. I guess I keep a lot of the stuff that I have because I figure it's better here than in a landfill. Sadly, if I could flip a figurative match over my shoulder and walk away, I would.

There was once a literal match. When I was a young man, a college student, I lived through an apartment building fire. That was a long time ago, and I'm still a little skittish around fire. I do not allow candles in my house. The fire left me homeless with only the clothes on my body. For years after that incident, I did not have much more than I did on the night I crawled out of the fire. Years later, while still working at summer camp, I marveled that everything I owned, including my bike, fit inside my 9' x 9' tent.

Fast forward many years. I have more stuff that I care to admit. Sadly, I have less stuff than the other two people in my family. If there is anything that I want, I weigh whether it will give me utility before I buy it. I also think about how I'll get rid of it when the time comes. I do pretty well, if left alone. The two times a year I really start getting stressed are my birthday and Christmas. Both days I beg and beg and beg everyone in the family not to buy me gifts. For years, I asked for salamis and tea because of those compulsive gift givers. At least with salamis and tea, I know when it will leave the house.

This last year, I asked for sometime very different for Christmas. I asked for private lessons with a watercolor painter. I had always wanted to learn how to use watercolors. Sure, I could have looked at a YouTube tutorial (I did that too), but I wanted to have a class. I also know the artist I wanted study with.

I was gifted two lessons with her. And they were both great.

Learning new things is such a great way to spend time and money. This gift of watercolor instruction has been one of, if not the best, gift I have ever received.

I took both lessons in January. I put what I learned to immediate use in February when Kimberly and I did the second creative challenge of the year. We did the watercolor challenge from Kick in the Creatives.