| GIVE A GOOD TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS The holidays are soon upon us, along with the annual buying frenzy that drives most of us to feeling quite Grinchy before it’s all over. The trouble with the gift-giving thing is reflected in the vague, desperate stares of holiday shoppers muttering things like, “Omigod, we’ve still gotta buy something for So-and-so…and what are we gonna get for So-and-so?” There are those in our inner circles who always pose huge challenges when it comes to gift- giving. My parents, for instance: if they want or need something, they buy it, and if they can’t afford it, I can’t, either. Or my partner’s grandmother, who lives in an assisted living facility and has limited space for more stuff. Most of us, in fact, have too much stuff already, a lot of it stuff we’d never even hang onto except that someone special gave it to us back in 1988 (when it was cool). But there’s a new strategy to consider, one that can bring joy in the giving experience back to the giver and avoid adding to recipients’ extensive collections of stuff. It may be hard to think of things to give to those you care about, but it’s rarely hard to think of something fun that they’d love to do. First rule of the New Shopping: Minimal stuff. Focus instead on experience, and you’ll discover a whole new world of gift-giving possibilities. Some years ago, I gave my three best friends (and myself) scuba lessons for Christmas. Not only did we have a great time together during the class and on many dive trips afterward, but for several years we gave each other dive gear and related paraphernalia as gifts, and our memories immortalize those gifts for each of us. The Internet has opened up endless contact possibilities for anything your imagination can come up with. A Google search for “scuba lessons, central Florida” puts hundreds of dive shops and instruction centers at your fingertips. So go wild; any experience you can come up with can probably be arranged, many more affordably than you might think. Central Florida’s diverse resident and tourist populations mean there are tons of interesting diversions to be found locally, and almost any idea you have can be put on a gift certificate. Consider your intended recipient’s lifestyle, physical ability, schedule, and interests. What does he or she enjoy doing? Is there anything he or she has expressed interest in doing, but has not had the opportunity to try? Got a mystery fan or a natural-born detective on your gift list? Send them on a nine-day murder- mystery cruise (about $1200). Pockets not that deep? Make reservations instead at one of central Florida’s many murder-mystery dinner theatres (about $50 per person). Got a flyboy or –girl in your clan? Put them on cloud nine with a sweet helicopter or gliderplane ride--experienced, FAA-certified pilot included (about $100). For a slightly more mellow airborne experience, show your recipient an unparalleled view of the sunrise from a hot-air balloon. You can even arrange a romantic flight for two ($400-$500). Flight plans usually include champagne toast and breakfast. Put your leather on and hit the road with the Outlaw on your list with a Harley-Davidson rental (from $100 a day). Take your favorite ancient mariner on a party-fishing trip (about $50). Send a NASCAR nut to Daytona or Disney to ride shotgun in a stock car at speeds over 150mph (from $100). Or go all out and drop $500-$2000 on a day of instruction culminating in your recipient taking the driver’s seat and running timed laps in a real stock car at one of the world’s famous motor speedways. Experiences don’t have to cost a fortune. Even busy people will make time for a prepaid therapeutic massage or spa treatment ($50-$100). Arrange for a house-cleaning service for a harried family ($35-$100). Give a gift card asking your recipient/s to leave time open for you on a certain date, then show up with take-out from their favorite restaurant, or bring a pan of your killer lasagna and a DVD. Rent a johnboat for less than $25 and spend a day snorkeling with half-ton manatees in Crystal River, or borrow a canoe (this is Florida—somebody you know owns one), pack a picnic and spend a lazy afternoon on one of the gazillion other bodies of water that grace the area. Gifts of experience are limited only by your finances and imagination. They are sensory gifts of time and enjoyment the recipient will retain for as long as memory serves the mind. The planning and execution of a gift of experience brings a special spirit of joy to the giver, as well. Isn’t that infinitely truer to the holiday spirit than another dust-collecting figurine? *A Google search shows many central Florida providers of most of the experiences listed in this article. Prices were averaged from top sites returned. ### |