don't let the price fool you

i just finished reading “Plays Well with Others” by Allan Gurganus. he writes about a writer who is given blue thank-you notes as his departing gift from North Carolina/welcoming gift upon entering New York. he discusses what it is to be a writer, and as a side-bar, what a thank-you note should contain.

that is about the extent of my writing: thank-you notes. i contributed to a continuing short story with some fellow campers before i was a teenager, and wrote some depressed poetry when i was in high school, but the only writing i do on a regular basis are some very thoughtful thank-you notes. (this bog doesn’t count because it is still in its infancy, and again, i cannot put myself in the category of writer due to lack of self esteem, audience, and the fact i have been an engineer too damn long). my mother drilled it into my head that the least you can do is send a thank-you note. i do it out of obligation, but i do take some pride in my thank-you notes. my father-in-law (who happens to be in the newspaper business) compliments them at least yearly so i must be doing something right.

Punkin’s shower and subsequent birth announcement resulted in the most thank-you notes in my history. (maybe there were more gifts after my first wedding? my second marriage was legalized at a drive-thru, which tends to result in very few guests and gifts, but this one (the second, to el Jefe’) has lasted longer and is way more fun.) anyway, i sent out birth announcements for the shock value, and ended up getting gifts in return. my minutes out of the house with a newborn consisted of a stroll to the mail box. every package brought a new sense of terror. quit sending gifts to me (my kid)! i’m trying to breast feed and stay sane while sleep-deprived, and now you’ve made me guilt-ridden by sending me (my kid) a gift and i have to write a thank-you note somewhere in between the three-hour wake, eat, play, sleep increments of the next twenty-four hours or so. looking back, it was slightly irrational, but very demonstrative of my OCD tendencies.

the psoup un-trademarked thank-you note template:

Dear Xxxx,
Thank you for the adjective yyyy. It is such an adjective gift. I’ve needed/wanted one for quite awhile now. Your kindness and generosity are greatly appreciated.
Insert paragraph about tedious mundane details in your life like weather/job/chores, etc. if space allows.
Again, thank you for the adjective yyyy. It was so thoughtful of you to remember/commemorate the occasion.
Love to you – Zzzz.

i don’t know if that meets Allan Guganus’ criteria, but it’s the least you can do.