Scheduled at the end of the party was a traditional White Elephant gift exchange. Those who are unfamiliar, this is how the legend and game goes. It gets it's name from an old Indian story about a prince(or King) who received a huge gift. It was a live white elephant. To look at the thing was extraordinary, but it wasn't suitable for battle or anything else. It was amazing, but basically useless. Now we use the term to mean just that, an amazing gift that has no value, and perhaps takes up a lot of space. For the game, everyone brings a wrapped gift they either paid a little for or found around their house (or a re-gift, as was both of our gifts). Then each person gets to open one random gift. Someone else who doesn't have a gift yet can either open a new gift or steal one that's been opened. A gift can be stolen 3 times.
My eyes burst wide open with excitement when I saw among the wrapped gifts a magnificent unwrapped painting of a white elephant.
Isn't it amazing?!
So our plan started to formulate. I wanted that painting. Numbers were handed out to select order, and we got really high numbers, but luckily the numbers were selected randomly.
About five people in, someone snagged the painting and she bolted back to her seat with it. I was having second thoughts. I didn't want to steal it from a lady who looked so happy getting it. But Betsy said if her number came up she would do it for me. But alas, someone stole it from the first lady. And my mind was open to the thought of taking it. Surely, I could steal from a thief. That wasn't as bad as taking from someone who honestly acquired the painting.
But then people kept getting called and it wasn't Betsy or I and we started to worry. Or I started to worry, Betsy didn't care so much. But then we formulated a new plan. If either of our numbers came up, either of us would steal the painting, then when the next one of us is chosen, we'd steal the painting and it would close it off from being stolen again.
The plan was set, the only catch was that our numbers would have to be called close together. Betsy got called! Without delay she walked over and stole the painting. And it was okay, everyone was all smiles. (Which means they didn't want it that bad, so nuts to them.) She sat down next to me and we waited and hoped that no one else eyed our prize.
And then, as luck would have it, four or five people later my number was called. It was a miracle. A Christmas miracle! I stood up boldly. I reached over my beloved wife and picked up the painting and raised it over my head to show everyone in the large room that I was stealing it from Betsy and that it was over. Then I sat down and admired the painting in front of me.
Since I stole Betsy's gift, she was free to choose something else. We had thought of this as an opportunity to relieve ourselves from some "stuff" so we decided if we would get anything, it would be little. So Betsy walked over and found a tiny little wrapped box. Inside was a fancy pen box entitled Parker Pens. After opening she discovered a note reading "Parker Pens: The Early Years." Inside was a used number 2 pencil and an old Marriot Hotel ballpoint pen. A gag gift. And a decent one at that. Supposedly the guy who gifted it gives gag gifts every year. It was reported that last year he gave a pillow case with his face on it.
We snagged this photo for posterity sake. The gift and the giver.
Merry Christmas!
And God bless us, everyone!
