Thursday, December 16

"The Gift That Got Away"

(I found this blog the other day, and I just responded for the first time--thus announcing my presence. It's a good question, and instead of stealing it like usual, I thought I'd share my responce with you guys, and recommend this blog to you.)

Every year for as long as I can remember, I've asked for a Chia Pet. I saw the commercials (you know, the ones that they still play every year at Christmastime), saw the magical goo grow into beautiful green hair on that schmucky clay face, and I was in love. I wanted the sheep, the one where the alfalfa grows into "wool". I asked for a Chia Pet from the time I was 5 until I was 18, and I never got one.

A few years ago, my "uncle" Bun gave me and my little brother Christmas presents for the first time. He's a retired biker/drunk driver, and it was probably the first time he'd ever had enough money to spare on the holidays. I took the present dubiously, unsure of what he'd have bought a 20-year-old who wasn't really his niece, just the daughter of his high school buddy. Lo and behold, it's a Chia Pet. It wasn't the sheep, it was the clown--but still, it's got to be the best Christmas present I've ever gotten. Completely unexpected, and completely what I'd always wanted.

I never grew it, I think it's still in a box somewhere; it's a little bit too sweet to actually cover in the goop and grow, you know?

I'm sure there are more presents that never came, but that's the one that always sticks out in my mind as "the one that got away". But then again, you know what they say, "If you love something, set it free.. blah blah blah."

5 comments:

Sunny said...

And now for the recommended blog: Kill the Goat. Stupid new template, not doing stuff that I'm used to it doing.

PS: Anyone else like the template? I think it makes me look all.. newspaper-y. :D

Anonymous said...

Ch-ch-ch-chia! Oh how that jingle is imprinted into my cerebral cortex. Glad you finally got your chia fulfillment. :)

SJ said...

Yes, Sunny, I like the template. Although immediately when someone gets a new template, I notice it has changed but completely forget what the previous template looked like. (I am a fucking old woman, yes, yes, it's true.) You do look all newspapery. Appropriate for someone doing adulty things. :)

Sunny said...

It was the same as MPH's, but it was mine before he decided to steal it from me. Bastard. Oh well, at least I can read it. Stupid old lady eyes not letting me read light-on-dark.

Anyway, I didn't really want people to associate me with that rabble, so I came up with (well, found) one that's a little different. Glad you likey. :)

I wrote that whole thing without that song in my head, and now I can't get it out. Thanks Steph. Hahaha.

Jay said...

I'm glad to see you posted the story, it's a good one. I got a chia pet one year too, actually, just the tree, and I grew the grass or whatever and thought "Huh, what a letdown." Why did a 9 year old want this ?

J