Wednesday, December 19, 2007

What a card


I heard It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas by Perry Como on the radio this morning, and it's not left my head since. I think it's perhaps the one Christmas song I don't own. That's going to have to change. I've got 99 songs on my Christmas playlist at the moment. Hello then, No.100.

On another note, I'm currently on the horns of a Christmas card dilemma. You send them out and think you're done. And then you start to get ones from those you've not sent to. So you reciprocate. However, does it look like your just doing it because they sent to you? Do people actually think this way?

It's difficult with staff members. Some give to me, some don't. I don't mind either way. I always exchange with those in my immediate vicinity and I'd be disappointed if we didn't. But the wider office is different. So if someone gives to me, I have to give to them, and because I'm not giving to the people they sit with because they didn't give to me, might those people then think I'm snubbing them...

Oh, it's a minefield!

4 comments:

Al McGregor said...

Living overseas, this time of year had the potential to be an expensive business. With the help of modern technology, and playing the environment card, a we cc-ed a short email to all and sundry explaining that there'd be no cards that year and instead a small contribution would be made to our fave charidee. Might seem a bit tight, but it saved a whole lot of grief.

Jon Peake said...

There's been a lot of this, this year. From some of the big TV channels too. It seems to be the way it's going.

Al McGregor said...

Got to hope they actually make the donation

TimT said...

I decided years ago not to give out Christmas cards in the office. In the remote event of a colleague also being a good friend, I'll shell out for a stamp and send them a card in the post.

This was after years of working in offices where there was inevitably some soppy woman (it was always a woman) who gave absolutely everyone a Christmas card, even if she never spoke to them in the daily run of things, and I would face exactly the dilemma you're talking about. So for me, it's everyone or no one (baby).

As for reciprocating generally, I think it's fine if you make an effort - reply to any message they wrote in your card, for instance, or write something nice and/or witty. I agree that if you just toss off a quick 'Dear x, Happy Xmas, Love...' it looks a bit token.

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