I Love Love Love Great Gift Givers

I've warned you several times: I don't like presents. If you knew my history with bad boyfriend gifts, you'd understand. It seems as much as I think a dude knows me, he panics when it comes to gift-giving and just assumes I'm either an 80-year-old grandma or a teenage boy. Have you ever seen any indication that I'm the pink teddy bear/scented candle/Russell Stover type? And which of your awesome friends told you that when all else fails, a copy of your favorite movie will suffice? I didn't even think you could still buy The Matrix on VHS but you proved me wrong, my friend.

Bottles of liquor just make me shrug. I guess you thought of me as you passed the liquor store? Great. Gag gifts get tossed in a pile. Thanks for the Beer Beard and all, but what the hell am I gonna do with it besides have it collect dust on a shelf? Jewelry can backfire because it might clash with my style but I'll feel obligated to wear it. If you spend too much money, it's weird and if you spend no money, that can be weird too, depending on the situation. See what I mean? It's a potential minefield! 

So with these and other equally bad gifts in mind, I just save new guys the trouble (and myself the frustration) and tell them not to bother with gifts. Every once in a while though, a guy will cast aside my request and give me something anyway. And it seems every awesome gift I've ever received has knocked my socks off for one reason: THOUGHT. Yes, dudes, good gifts take some thought.

Let's say you heard me gripe a month ago about the sold-out concert I've been bummed about being unable to attend so you went online and found two tickets for double the face value and whipped them out on Valentine's Day. Not only am I completely YOURS because I get to go to the show, but I'm also blown away that while I was sitting there complaining about something, you weren't staring at my boobs or thinking about who would win in a battle between R2D2 and Wall-E, you were listening to me and trying to find a way to make it all better.

So to all you guys who are currently scouring the city for that rare EP your girl desperately wants or driving out to her favorite spot to snap an artsy picture for her, keep on keeping on with the amazing gifts. Your thoughtfulness gives us a reason to stop dreading holidays (and to finally get rid of our VCRs). And that's just awesome.