It was probably this colorful sweatshirt I got from my Sister a while back. She was in Atlanta and had been attending college at the time, and she got me this number that had the right colors in it, but at the time it wasn't the most fashionable item I had. I was young and wanted perhaps some Kani jeans or maybe even Cross Colors, instead I ended up with a shirt for a school I didn't know that had forest green, yellow, orange, all of those key nineties colors in it.

The thought mattered, and I understood why she got me the shirt, so I held onto it but rarely, if ever wore it. Being self-conscious as I was I would wear it around the house but never out in public. It's probably in my mother's closet now with some mothballs.

Clothing is a delicate thing to buy as a gift in the first place. Nine times out of ten while the recipient appreciates the hard work that went into hunting down and purchasing the gift (particularly finding the great deal), they'll never wear it. People have an idea of what they want us to wear or what they think that we would buy ourselves, and rarely does that notion line up with what we want to do at that time. You might pull that apparel out ten years from now and wear it just because, but unless you wear it, and specifically, that you do so when you see the one that bought it for you, ill feelings arise.

It was years before my sister ever bought me clothing again, when she did it was a denim shirt, and I ended up taking it back and exchanging it. The denim itself wasn't a problem, but you know, it can't just be denim has to be a certain weight, certain cut certain style; a lightweight broken in shirt with western styling that lets me be that urban cowboy, yeah! Just a regular shirt that happens to be denim, well ...

Looking back on it a lot of gifts were better growing up, from a materialistic standpoint. These days I get gifts that are sentimental and meant to convey a message, which is something that will stick with me a lot longer than any apparel ever will. If I get a gift it'll be from my mother, but unless I'm going home to celebrate Christmas I'm not expecting to get any gifts from them. If they're like me they buy them after Christmas when they're a lot cheaper, and perhaps they'll get it on Martin Luther Kings day or sometime in February when I see them again.

I'd like to see my family more; but I got more than I bargained for living in an expensive place and taking on a lot of other financial responsibilities. Life is better; but quite honestly at times the best Christmas gift I can get is to see or hear from them at all, they can at least get in touch with me if they want to, which is something years back I couldn't as easily take for granted ...

Learn more about this author, Christopher Kendalls.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about The worst Christmas gift you ever got?
We want to hear your view. Write now!