Surprise Gift: a 'bad' post

This is a 'bad' post. 'Bad', as we all know, is the opposite of 'good'. Hence, this post is not going to be one of my usual tributes to a particular person or a narrative of a good thing I've done.

This is going to be about a 'bad' thing I did last night.

After some significant peer and holiday pressure, I conceded to attend our gang's Christmas party. I would be a liar if I say that I'm not in the mood to interact with the group --- the season has it's own magic which at least dampens some ill wills and grudges. Besides, Christmas is the only season that I really enjoy, particularly because of the gift-giving part to people I treasure. I feel privileged to be able to give gifts to such people, and thus I don't expect them to reciprocate.

I keep two sets of Christmas lists: the 'obligated' and the 'treasured'. The first list is quite lengthy with names of business contacts, casual acquaintances, some of my godchildren, cousins and aunts and uncles, and a selection of people who expect a handout from me this Christmas. The second list is short -- a favorite godson, parents and siblings, a few friends and a cherished godfather.

Buying and giving gifts to the names on the first list is a chore for me. But doing the same for the names on the second list is done with care.

Anyway, the 'bad' thing that I did last night is that I have to give a gift to someone that I'm obligated to (read: Kris Kringle). It so happens that the recipient of my gift is the singular person in our group that I wouldn't like to be with. His greatest fault is that he's a verbal bully, and in more than one situation I've found myself to be the object of ridicule in a crowd because of some smart remarks from him. Truth be told, nobody wants to be embarassed in public, right?

Last night at the party, in full view of all the other guests, I "playfully" shoved my 'gift' to his torso. My gift was 750 pesos worth of local coins inside a thick frosted mug. I'd say that the box weighed about 3 pounds at least.

Now, imagine someone coming up to you and without expecting it, he punches you in the chest with a 3-lb steel ball in his hand. You'd be sure of two things: pain and surprise.

And that's what I did last night: punch someone under the guise of (obligated) Christmas gift-giving.

It was a nice feeling. What I got in return was priceless: a feeling of satisfaction.

Ironically, I can feel that this is gonna be a Merry Christmas for me.