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Years of careful observation have taught us there are two types of holiday shoppers, those who see gift-buying as a joy and those who view it as a duty.
At one extreme are the Christmas elves who spend months securing the perfect presents for loved ones, co-workers and neighbors. These people have lists and hiding spots. On the other end of the spectrum are the folks who swing by Pukalani Superette on their way to the family party to buy a case of Spam or potted anthurium.
One of our favorite holiday gift-giving traditions is the family White Elephant Exchange. The rules for this little societal experiment are simple. Everyone involved brings one wrapped gift. Numbers are drawn to determine an order of selection. When a person's turn arrives, they have two choices, select a wrapped present from the communal pile or “steal” one that has already been opened. If your gift is stolen, you either pull something new from the pile or relieve another person of their prize.
This prospect of thievery keeps interest high. Those in the wings survey every item as it is opened. If you've unwrapped something you really like, you sit there hoping nobody snatches it away. Or maybe you're a vegetarian with a case of Spam on your lap praying one of the carnivores has a hankering for musubi.
There is often one special gift that makes the rounds before the last in line lays their grubby hands on it. That gift is usually provided by a Christmas elf, but not always. You never know what will capture the group's imagination.
For years, a price limit was set on our White Elephant gifts. It was thought to be more equitable. This year the gloves have been declared off. Spend what you may is the edict that has been handed down. And that is why we would like to draw a certain family's attention to a $16,128 gas grill in the display window at Maui BBQ Grills in Kihei. We often pass this grill during our morning walk and it always conjures the same question. Who the heck can afford to spend $16,000 on a barbecue grill?
The answer is obvious. Maui has whole neighborhoods of residents who could purchase a dozen of the fancy, teal-colored appliances and never flinch. We suppose these are the same people who car manufacturers target when they run commercials showing beautiful young couples buying matching SUVs for Christmas.
With that in mind, we would like to add a third type of holiday shopper. These are the ones who can't afford to buy presents no matter how much they cost. Maui has its fair share of these folks as well. Whether gift-buying is seen as a duty or a joy, it pays to remember it is also a privilege that not everyone shares.