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Surprises: How good are you?

Rudolph Quin

Mistaken for some sort of scoundrel
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Aug 2, 2009
Location
here
How good are you at holding back gifts for people that are set for a predetermined time? How good are you at planning surprises such as parties, pranks, or gifts in general?

I usually get way too excited to hold onto gifts, often giving them early to people. I hate the feeling of obligation that surrounds holidays, the impression of gifts being given because "I had to get you something". I much prefer the "just saw this and thought of you!/here is something I know you like-wanted because I love you!" gifts that are given randomly. There's less of this overbearing associations of "gift giving time" and focus on a holiday and more of a focus on the person and your relationship with them.

How well do you do with keeping gifts secret for a time of gift giving? Have you ever planned a surprise party( or been part of it) and told the person about it before the time to yell "surprise"?
 
I like to think I'm good at surprises, but I've never actually had the opportunity to truly surprise someone. The majority of my friends hate being surprised, such as parties, and with gift giving there are hardly any new, unheard of things that are in my budget that I can be like "Betcha didn't see this comin'!" They'd kill me if a bunch of people jumped out at them all of a sudden shouting SURPRISE! And I'm rather attached to my head on my shoulders. On the opposite side I love to be surprised. As long as someone gives me the heads up that I should probably a bra on because pictures will be taken.

Also, I love, love, love to give gifts. It makes me feel good to give something to someone that I know they'll love, or that they need and couldn't get themselves, etc. I'll stretch my pennies super thin to be able to afford a knife set for my friend who's very interested in becoming a chef, or a small little goofy gadget that my tech friend can have on his desk at work. I don't typically have a "just because it reminded me of you" random gift giving technique, because I'll hoard those little things I find until birthdays or holidays. I found that that has helped me with my budget far better than saving through the year and having a lump sum of a hundred dollars or so to split between my family and close friends.

Also, as I ramble on first thing in the morning before my shift starts at work - I'm a habitual over-giver. I spend way too much money on people for that gratification of them being shocked or overwhelmed by the gift. I feel like if I haven't given them something that gains that response, I've failed. I've gotten better thanks to my boyfriend, but I still get a little anxious around the holidays and birthdays that I haven't done enough. I always try and one up myself from the previous year, which just gets exhausting. Thankfully, most of my friends are in the same little social pocket that I am in (financially speaking) and we've now made a hard-deal that we have a spending cap on what we can buy each other.

An example being that when Galen and I first started dating, I knew he loved cars. He's a fanatic, and thank god, because every time something goes to shit in my truck he knows how to fix it - but anyway - I bought him this package where he could drive a lambo or a ferrari around a track. There were package options (i.e. 6 laps instead of 3, driving instead of riding shotgun, picture, video, etc) and I bought him the big one. I was ecstatic about it because I knew he'd never see it coming. I was on an even tighter budget back then so I was sacrificing some proper groceries and bills that in hindsight probably shouldn't have been ignored, but lied and told him I'd been saving - he didn't believe me, but he still cried because he was overwhelmed with the gift. We'd been together for five months and he was trying so hard to remain stoic in the middle of an Olive Garden and failing. It was fantastic. Ever since then I've challenged myself to get a similar reaction out of him for birthdays.

It's been rough. Especially now that we live together, and he comes into my office all the time because he and my boss have become really good friends, so I can't hide any gifts anywhere!! I've resorted to asking my mom, which means bribing my fourteen year old brother not to say anything to Galen (whom he worships, so... I'm really on the losing end of "surprise" when it comes to him).

I have so many more rambling thoughts on this. I could go forever and just yap away, but it's time for me to work. >.>

Love ya, Rudy! <3 Great question!
 
Well, I'm weird when it comes to surprises. Certain kinds I like and certain kinds I despise. I mean, we're talking I hate them so much that I will get upset about them. >.< Basically, the kinds of surprises I don't like are the ones where I'm suddenly made to be center stage. A surprise gift or outing is fine. Just, so long as I'm not suddenly made to be in the spot light...I'm ALL good. This is one of the reasons as to why I loathe, hate, detest, despise surprise parties. >////< I will NEVER throw one, I NEVER want to have one thrown for me. EVER!

That said, when it comes to getting/giving things to others, I'm more of the sort who likes to give it when I get it. I'm not one for getting birthday presents for others nor care if I get one on my own birthday. If I get a simple 'happy birthday' said to me by the ones I care about and maybe go out to dinner with my family rather than making it at home...I'm good. LOL! I just find it more my way of thinking to go with gifts when I either think of them or see them and thus feel compelled to get it. When people start to pressure me, making me feel like I NEED to get a gift for a birthday or holiday, I tend to shutdown and have a harder time of it. Meaning, I won't be able to think on what to get and any enjoyment in the giving tends to get lost and then I won't overly care if I give the gift to the person or not. Not sure if this is something others feel or not. <.<

Anyway, surprises... >.< I don't like holding onto things. While I can keep the secret, I don't prefer doing so. Why? It stresses me out. Pure and simple. My mind will dwell on it. I'll think about how I could lose the gift or it could get destroyed by someone or something. Just all these 'what ifs'. I also think about how someone else might get it, just all these things. So, I much rather just get it and give it right off. No waiting. And fuck the whole special occasion deal. Meh. I guess I'm just not into the whole hype of that kind of thing. >.<
 
I'm generally not very good at it.Probably because I hate waiting when I know I'm going to get a present (i.e. Christmas). I'm pretty good at planning out gifts.
 
When it comes to giving someone a surprise gift I'm actually pretty good at it. I can buy something and keep it hidden for months without a problem... Though admittedly that's often because of my terrible memory and that I'll sometimes forget about the gift, only to spot it sometime later and go "oh, right, I was going to give them that"... XD

I've been known to write notes to myself so I don't forget about them. Heh.

As for surprise parties or really surprising someone, I don't know, I've never done it. I've never had an opportunity to do it, I've never had any friends that were close enough to put the effort into it (I've never had any really good friends)... So I've never had a chance to try to surprise someone, so I don't know if I'd be good at it or not. Though I think that I'd be pretty good. I have some "maybe one day" surprises I've thought of over the years, especially ones relating to proposing to someone, should I ever meet a special someone.

When it comes to surprising me, again, I don't know. I don't know whether I'd like it or not. No one has ever bothered to try to surprise me like that so I can't say how I would react to it. Though, depending on the type of surprise, I might not be too thrilled about it, especially if there are a bunch of other people around. That's why if I go to a restaurant for my birthday I insist that no one tells any of the staff that it's my birthday, I don't like the event with a bunch of strangers like that, and I don't really like being the center of attention of a bunch of strangers. That said, I never feel that personal events in my life, like a birthday, are very important or of any interest to anyone so I rarely tell anyone about them... So there's that, too. :p
 
They'll never know, and still be shocked, confused, and questionable as to what is happen as the surprise is exposed.
 
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