Every year at about this time, my brothers and I would take turns flipping through the pages of the Christmas catalog. We would find all the toys and neat stuff throughout the catalog, and then we would pen our initials next to all the things that we really wanted. I’m unsure of the origins of this family holiday tradition, but it was always fun to look at the pictures and read the descriptions, and it kept our minds occupied for a while. It was always understood that it was nothing more than a wishlist, a way of letting Santa and Mom and Dad know where our toy desires were focused. As good fortune would have it, Santa and Mom and Dad often had a better understanding of what we would enjoy than we did.
It’s been a long time since I last penned my initials in a Christmas catalog. However, for the sake of blog entertainment, I decided to compose a wishlist of all those must-have items that I really need or want. There was only one small problem that I ran into while making the list; I can’t think of anything that I really need or want. Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as materialistic as the next person. But as I pondered over the subject, I realized that there isn’t a specific item on the market that I consider as “must-have”, no product with that Cabbage Patch Kid appeal that would have me running to the mall to acquire.
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have my finger on the pulse of what’s hot for Christmas 2004. So, I did a little online research to find out what those in the know considered hot items. The International Council of Shopping Centers has a list of “need to buy” gifts, but most of the gifts seem like presents of Christmas past; Elmo, Shrek, Tamagotchi, Ms PacMan, and Trivial Pursuit are all included in the list of “hot toys”. And I don’t know about you, but when it comes to clothing and apparel, tweed, suede, big belts and pink are not exactly on my priority list.
Admittedly, Oprah has some nice stuff on her holiday list of favorite things. The wide-screen TV is cool, but then I’m reminded that no matter how big the screen is, the same lame programming continues. The laptop computers are cool as well, but I’ve got a computer. There’s a good chance that when this computer decides to die, the price of laptops will be much cheaper and more powerful.
With all that said, I still wanted to compose a holiday wishlist. While certainly none of the items are “must-have”, each has enough appeal to be listed:
* Amtrak Tickets: Traveling across the country via Amtrak would not only be a cool gift, but an excellent adventure. And it’s fairly affordable.
* Nikon D70: I’m happy with the job my compact camera does, but this is a camera for life. In the past year I’ve read a lot of reviews about digital SLR’s, and the Nikon D70 always seems to come out on top. Still kind of pricey for my tastes, but this is a wishlist. Besides, it’s so pretty.
* Underwear: Let’s face it, one can never have too much underwear. Personally, I prefer the fit of cotton boxers with a touch of spandex.
* Sony Playstation 2: I admit that I don’t own any video games and I know nothing about them. But the graphics look cool and the John Madden Football looks fun.
* Cologne: It’s always good to smell good.
* Levi’s: Like underwear, one can never have too many pairs of Levi’s.
* Zoombot: I don’t know how good of a job it will do, but there’s something cool about a hands-free vacuum.
See what I mean, not exactly a list of must-haves.