watermark’s
2008 W
hen it comes to holiday gifts, I’m shameless.
My family and friends would agree. I’m the guy who starts next year’s wish list on this year’s Christmas Day. As I’m opening gifts I’m thinking (or saying out loud), “You know what I need....” I come by it honestly. As one of five kids in a household on a tight budget, I learned quickly that the best way to get is to ask, early and often. When I was seven, it got me a ventriloquist’s dummy that was almost as big as me. (I named him “Dick”—go figure.) A year later I snared the Creeple People set I wanted so desperately, along with a year’s supply of Plasti Goop. And on following Christmas mornings I was thrilled to find a drum set, then a reel-to-reel tape recorder, 10-speed bicycle, stereo system and electric typewriter. But best was the blue-and-red robot I got when I was six. Advertisements during The Herculoids and Johnny Quest made it look so cool. With a remote control you could walk with it, make its arms move and eyes light up. Best of all, you could open its head and shoot rockets out the top. It was sharp, hard plastic, and I slept with it for months. I’m sure Mom and Dad were still paying for Christmas well into the spring and summer. But each of us got what we wanted and much more, every year. There’s nothing like the face of a child who sees the one thing they’ve fantasized about for months waiting for them under the tree. Second best: the speechless open-mouthed joy of a parent or partner surprised by a thoughtful gift. That’s why, inevitably and for all of us, holiday giving becomes more fun than the getting. Watermark’s 2008 Holiday Gift Guide offers up a great head start on your holiday shopping. From confections to concert tix, we’ve spotlighted gift ideas from more than two dozen local merchants that invite and want your business. That’s always the best place to start.
Tom Dyer Watermark Publisher