An (Actually) Enjoyable Christmas Shopping Experience

I don't like shopping. I don't like driving to a store, entering a store, choosing products to buy, buying the chosen products, and driving back home. An upcoming shopping trip, whether for groceries, clothes, or home, inspires a deep, dark dread. I don't like shopping.

The occasional trip to a bookstore can be bearable, but only if it's for coffee and browsing, and only if I'm already outside of my home. I don't like shopping. Shopping for just an hour makes me more tired than a full day of work. Whenever possible, I shop online, and with all of the readily available online coupons I rarely pay more than I would in store, and often save money. And I don't have to drive to a store, enter a store, choose products to buy, buy the chosen products, and drive back home. I don't like shopping. (Did I already say this?)

However, this article is not about the perils and pains of shopping (although I could easily write one); it is instead about a shopping trip I took this past weekend, on a Saturday in December, nine shopping days before Christmas, that I enjoyed. It was at a busy retail store in a busy plaza, a place on any other day I'd inconvenience myself to avoid. And on a Saturday in December, I'd usually choose a dentist's appointment, or cleaning a toilet, or attending a Celine Dion concert over shopping. But this day was different. I was riding in a car full of teenagers on our way to buy gifts for a family our church had adopted for Christmas.

I'm sure it helped immensely that I was riding instead of driving on the busy parkway, so that's tip #1: Ride to your shopping destination in December. Tip #2: Go with a bunch of teenagers. Yes, a bunch of teenagers.

My bunch of teenagers happened to be my youth group, but you don't have to find your bunch at a church. Bunches of teenagers from all locations will surprise you, especially if you give them the opportunity to something good for their fellow nonadults. The morning of our shopping trip we were told that we were going to buy gifts for three children, and were told their ages, genders, and one item they would like for Christmas. Once at the store, we split into three groups, and were given a budget of $75.00. Off the groups went to choose gifts.

"Ooh, I love these pajamas!" exclaimed one teen.

"These scarves are great!" exclaimed another.

"No, I wouldn't wear that. You should get another one," said one of the teens after I picked out a sweater for the fifteen-year-old. "Yeah, I bought that for my Mom," another youth responded. I liked the sweater; it's a good thing they were there.

Spread throughout the store our group shopped respectfully with their fellow shoppers, and, more important, respectfully for their Christmas youth. They chose sale items to maximize their budget, but bought only items they themselves would like to own. These thirteen- to seventeen-year-olds did all of this without having to be told by any of the three adults. Their choices of gifts were practical, kind, and fun.

The decision-making process was surprisingly not an overwhelming chore for me, even with the crowds and the piles and piles and racks and racks of clothing to choose from. I can even state for the record that I had fun. I didn't even mind standing in the long line to buy the gifts. The groups' excitement over giving these gifts to our anonymous family made the wait short. More than once I heard a youth say they wished they could see our family open their gifts, and how thrilled they were knowing someone was getting their great gifts. I'd argue that they got more pleasure out of buying these gifts then they would have if we told them to buy gifts for themselves. So tip #3: Buy anonymously. It's much more fun. Does somebody want to set up a worldwide Secret Santa gift exchange? No names-just gender, age, and location. Okay, so logic may interfere with this wish, but think about how much fun and exciting Christmas morning would be if all of the gifts we gave and received were truly anonymous. Though my worldwide gift exchange isn't going to happen, it can happen locally. Do yourself a huge holiday favor and adopt a family next Christmas.

When the group got back to the church and wrapped the gifts, one youth asked, "Who should we say they are from?" Another youth answered, "Santa. Because they really are from Santa." Merry Christmas.