I know I’m going to sound old and bitchy. I am really sorry.
But…
What is the deal with sending senior pictures (you know…like from high school) to everybody in the world? Wait…I know the answer. You’re hoping to get money and/or other presents from as many people as possible.
Note: Unless you are family or are genuinely a friend’s kid, etc. I don’t want your stinking picture. What am I supposed to do with it? I feel guilty throwing it away, because I know your parents paid gobs of money on all those little wallet-sized beauties. Keep them, please. I have nowhere to put them.
Plus…
I find it incredibly tacky to send graduation announcements. I know that seems silly. But, I just think they are like an invitation for the recipient to purchase a gift. Let me let you in on a little secret: I know when all of my relatives, friends, friends’ kids and old youth group members are graduating. I send cards. I send gifts. I don’t need a gift-purchase-reminder…unless I really like you and want one to keep. You’ll know if I actually want one from you.
Just saying.
In that same vein, do you realize that Josten’s has the market cornered on graduation memorabilia? I had to order my doctoral regalia from…you guessed it…Jostens! AND I got tons of stuff in the mail about class rings and graduation announcements (I just told people, it was cheaper that way) and commemorative tassels…all from Jostens. Sorry, it seems that now I’m just venting.
Ahh Jostens, I remember them. There is also a Simpsons episode where they have these official tickets and they rip off the tab and it mentions Jostens for class rings. I don’t know why I felt the need to mention that but I did.
Also, I hate it when people you barely know send you a card with a story about their family for Christmas. I don’t know why it bothers me, but it does.
Oh yes, the “Christmas/Holiday Letter”, outlining everything they’ve done since the last Christmas/holiday letter. My favorites are the holiday letters that just never seem to get out before Easter. I always read them, then I throw them away. I wonder when people will just start sending Christmas/Holiday Letters via e-mail…think of the trees that would be saved!
I totally agree about the Christmas newsletter. I have a certain family member who sends them out every year with all the updates about Mel in the Peace Corps, Dave and his third marriage, Ali and her terrific job, Bobby and golf and Mim and her own personal battle of the bulge (weight loss). Seriously…enough is enough! I don’t tell you every time I take a crap, why would I care when you do?
The absolute worst Christmas newsletter ever is produced by an older lady at BARFUM. Every year she puts together a book…seriously…a book with multiple color photos lining page upon page of information about people nobody gives a crap about. Ugh. I was the youth minister there, and this lady was in her late 70s. I didn’t know these people, and yet she proudly gave one to me as if I cared.
Stop the insanity!
What gets me is when they don’t give thank you notes after I give them a gift for Graduation! A verbal thank you at church does not cut it people.
And (ducking flames) I like other peoples Christmas letters.
Thank you notes (I’m sad to say) are a thing of the past. I have two certain family members who never even acknowledge that they receive gifts, let alone send a thank you note or even call to say thanks. Seriously, you have to e-mail their father and ask if they received the gift. How tacky is that? They should know better. One of the girls is 15, the other 12. They really should know better. But, their mother (or father) should encourage thank yous, and apparently does not. What’s up with that?