Rick Rude

I always say that the gift giving in this country is outrageous, people give for every occasion (real or imagined) and give big and bulky. It's as if people think you'll forget about them if they don't show up with a huge decorative serving dish or an ugly vase. I don't think it's rude to show up without a gift, I think it's rude to show up with a terrible one. What they don;t realize is that a bad gift is inconsiderate because it puts somebody else in the unenviable position of having to fake happiness while scheming for a way to forget your ice-tea pitcher on the side of the road.

But amongst bad gifts there is a hierarchy and there is no worst gift than the one you have to display in your house. See an ugly sweater or a weird DVD can just get buried in a closet and eventually dropped off at the dump but an ugly painting or wall hanging is helpless and we at TOR consider it selfish. Nobody should feel the right to decorate your home but you. Not only are there color schemes you have to consider but often rooms have themes and when others start to 'help' it usually leads to some uncomfortable exchange. The giver is afraid that you don't like the framed 8x10 photo of you guys in front of the Tom Jones concert and you feel like breaking it over his skull. It must be that people try to find ways to add their signature in people's houses as if a lack of your taste in their house has any bearing on your relationship. It's not even the day you get the gift which sucks it's the next time they come over and ask where the picture is hanging.
So this is your warning, from now on I am going to be honest with people because I can't take the inevitable awkwardness anymore.
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