Dawn, 20 - 35. Make it Meaningful.

Of late, I either haven't had much time to write, or much motivation. My classes began this month, and now my afternoons are all occupied. Once I finish at eight, I don't really want to be in my study much longer. In the mornings, I don't have much time because I've been running erands or walking, getting home with just enough time for a shower and to start making lunch. Covid cases have been going down, though they are now edging up, again. The pandemic has become part of normality by now. It's there, it will be there for a while, and we just have to be cautious and make sure we have all the necessary shots, so that, if we catch it, it won't land us in the hospital.

We have been hearing horror stories about how our trees will be nude this Christmas, because of shipping problems. Personally, I don't care. I even welcome it.

The delays in shipping are mainly due to Covid, and people who have gone big on online ordering. China has a zero Covid policy, which means that if one worker catches it, the entire company, or at least the area where the worker was, shuts down, slowing down manufacturing and shipping. Then, in the ports of call where the container ships get offloaded, there is a shortage of port workers and truckers. Here, the problem is partially that workers have left jobs that pay too little, or have them work overtime without pay, and partially because companies don't want to hire more personnel to keep down costs.

Electronics of all kinds are the most affected because of a shortage of production of the micro chips that make them run, but, in the end, everything manufactured in Asia is affected. 

Really, does it matter? It matters, I suppose, if you want a certain electronic gadget to replace another one that's broken, and you have to get on a wait list that's months long. But it shouldn't matter for presents. There are many ideas for presents that don't involve electronics. There are also ideas that don't involve a physical object. A gift certificate to a favorite restaurant. A weekend at a spa. A donation to a favorite charity. A physical object can be one you've made yourself, or one made by a local artisan. Perhaps a book that needs to be tracked down that is high on a reading list. There is no need to enter a store to buy something made in China to put under the tree. 

Of course, a lot of this shortage is happening because of all the hype put upon buying. Slow down. Does the person need this? Do I need this? Can it wait to be bought? There don't have to be ten presents under the tree for one person. One, chosen with love and care, can be more than enough. But those suggestions are anathema on broadcast media. 

Stop the buying spree. Think about each person on your list, and choose something meaningful to that person that isn't in big name stores. They might even like your present a lot more.

Life continues.