This occurred to me simply yesterday! I work on the admin facet of a human-services non-profit with a workforce of principally ladies and one man, who I’ll name Edgar. Edgar is in his mid-sixties, could be very sort, very well-meaning, and never very sensible – however his first two qualities make it tough to get offended with him concerning the third.
Our workforce voted, unanimously, to do a Secret Santa this yr, with presents exchanged and givers revealed on the vacation luncheon. $25 current restrict. Our boss distributed questionnaires to everybody to assist us in our buying endeavors. Stuff like, what sort of music do you take pleasure in, what’s your favourite snack, how do you prefer to pamper your self, issues like that. We fill out our questionnaires, decide our recipients, and everybody has a stunning time buying over the weekend.
The luncheon is scheduled for yesterday afternoon. Yesterday morning, I’m chatting to Edgar and to Mallory, one other co-worker, and Edgar says to me, “How does this Secret Santa work, anyway? Will we all simply put $25 within the pot after which draw names?”
Mallory and I change a Look, and I say to Edgar, as gently as I presumably can, “No. You purchase a present in your recipient that prices not more than $25, that’s acceptable to their pursuits in line with the questionnaire that we stuffed out, after which we change them on the lunch.”
He says, “Oh, *shit*.”
After a hasty brainstorming session, Edgar leaves the workplace to run to the closest Goal, which sells each present playing cards and festive greeting playing cards wherein they may very well be positioned, and Mallory and I categorical our mutual incredulousness that: one, Edgar hasn’t heard of Secret Santa earlier than; two, he voted to take part in Secret Santa regardless of not understanding what it’s; and three, he didn’t trouble to ask anybody about the way it labored till three hours earlier than the deadline. Blissful Holidays, every person.