This is a follow-on to the Neiman Marcus shopping list I shared yesterday.

What surprised me about the list of lavish gifts is that so many of them involve having an expert go with you or advise you on making the best selection. I cannot imagine how intimidating that would be. Often times, having someone tell me what I should like is challenging.

I appreciate support and assistance but the experts can get a little bossy.

I have a friend who worked in the make-up industry. I had never invited her help, but one day I was “caught” and I let her experiment with make-up. Now, that I think about it, I feel really bad for her. She got out her kit and went to work on my face. The first application was bad. And, the next two only looked worse. In the end, she did a few things and then stepped back and looked at me. I still laugh when I remember what she said, “You still look like you.” Hilarious!!

You know the feeling, the car salesman who tells you what you “must have.” The clothing retailer who comments that you really need to “invest” in your closet. Or, the waiter who comments that “usually” people order the sautéed mushrooms and onions with that particular cut of beef.

I love having experts “help” me, but I start getting a queasy feeling when they go past the “helping” stage to the “telling” stage.

So, let’s agree this year that we are going to be the ones selecting the gifts. If we want help, we will ask for it. (Good luck finding that clerk again.) And, if we want them to select something for us, we will tell them the gender and age of the gift recipient and how much we want to pay. No fair showing us something we cannot afford.

And, if you cannot figure out what to buy, go for the gift card. I mean, who really needs (or wants?) a 6-foot tall garden peacock?

Happy shopping!!

“He who loves pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not become rich.” (Proverbs 21:17)