Nothing like the present

Certainly, a number of folks don’t need to wait until Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving — or even Cyber Monday — the following work week day in which online sales theoretically boom — to start crossing items off the gift list and adding dollar signs to the checkbook roster. Based on department store trimming timelines, it appears December holiday shopping actually begins sometime around Labor Day. Yet there are those rare few that do wait until the turkey is consumed and the scarecrow decorations put away before tackling the next holiday.

This year, the experts predicted both groups would stay away or at least keep their hard-earned cash and credit a little closer to the vest. So much for retail therapy.

Surprisingly, early reports show shopping went better than expected during the annual post-Thanksgiving dashes to the mall and keyboard. Maybe the black won’t be so blue, after all.

The outcome of my shopping excursions — namely if I leave the store with a purchase instead of a just a headache — is based on a complex mathematical formula balancing the size of the line, the size of the discount and the number of items I actually want to buy. If the queue of impatient shoppers snakes too far through the aisles of reindeer antler headbands and jingle bell sweaters, the potential savings better be hefty and I better be wiping out a substantial percentage of my gift buying in one full swoop. If the discount is a measly 10 percent or sales tax equivalent, I better not have to wait behind more than one person. And, if all I found worthwhile is a single scarf or socket wrench set, chances are good I’ll opt for online shopping (as long as there is free shipping) if I haven’t the time or mental fortitude to wait out two hours of Christmas carols to reach the cashier.

The holiday shopping season brings more than just the twin emotions of frustration and elation — it also ushers in a slew of tsk-tsking that there is more to this time of year than the hottest toys and high-tech gadgets. The naysayers will argue there should be focus on the religious significance, if that is part of one’s life and tradition, or just embracing the opportunity to give the gifts of time and appreciation.

There is nothing wrong with those sentiments. Ideally, sharing, compassion and all the other warm fuzzy wishes will be sprinkled throughout the year instead of bunched up in one month. Even in families and social circles that don’t mimic greeting card perfection, the underlying desire of giving gifts should be about showing appreciation and love. The gifts don’t even need to be purchased. A little thought and creativity goes a long way — call it presents of mind.

But in these hectic times of work and life and everything in between, there never seems to be the time for arts and crafts and homemade rum ball recipes. The solution? Purchasing a gift that the giver hopes sums up all the good things never said during the year, the thank yous and hugs never given, the little moments of "hey, you’re a pretty OK human being.”

The irony is that time spent searching and standing and buying are all minutes that could be used putting pen to paper, brush to canvas, sprinkles to cookies or finger tip to phone keypad. When it comes to picking out the perfect gift, sometimes there is nothing like the present.

Michelle Durand’s column "Off the Beat” runs every Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached by

e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102. What do you think of this

column? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.