The gift of experiences over stuff
December 20, 2018 | Raleigh News & Observer
A few days ago, I heard a radio ad that described Christmas shopping as “coming down to the wire.” Which sounded ridiculous — there was a whole week left! That’s usually when I start making my list and then figuring out which stores are open late on Christmas Eve. You’d be amazed how many grocery store items look just fine under a Christmas tree. Basket of oranges, anyone?
If that’s not your idea of a fun night-before-Christmas agenda, let me suggest some generous last-minute gifts. As I’ve thought back over the last year, the things that really stand out aren’t things at all: they’re experiences. Places I’ve traveled, days I’ve spent outdoors, parks and museums and strange sights that have made my toddler go bug-eyed with wonder.
“Shared experiences with friends and family have a deeper psychological link to long-term intrinsic happiness than buying products does.” That comes from the hard-nosed economic analysts at McKinsey and Company. They find that we tend to like our stuff less over time, but we value experiences more as the years pass.
There’s an excellent economic argument for this approach, too. Most of the stuff we buy is made elsewhere. But you can’t outsource state parks, the N.C. Symphony or the Durham Bulls. They’ll keep employing people right here, expanding a service economy that is homegrown and dynamic.
So as you stare down the last few blank spaces on your holiday shopping list, you might consider:
Museum memberships. The Triangle has some real gems, and most memberships include access to events throughout the year. Movies at the N.C. Museum of Art, children’s activities at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, discounts at the great little shop in the N.C. Museum of History.
Train trips. Who knows if we’ll ever get an efficient commuter rail system, but in the meantime you can spend a wonderfully inefficient afternoon aboard Amtrak’s Carolinian or Piedmont. My kid loves riding the rails to Burlington or Greensboro.
Restaurant gift certificates. Splurge on a place outside your normal range in terms of budget, cuisine, or both. Instead of buying a useless electronic gadget, have that fancy four-course dinner with your spouse or treat the family to an Indian feast. Dollar-for-dollar, there are few life experiences more indulgent than an expertly prepared meal.
State parks pass. My UNC classmate Jeff Smith wrote last year about visiting every state park in North Carolina with his kids. “The year-long experience reinforced one of the essential lessons of fourth-grade social studies,” he wrote. “North Carolina’s geography is spectacularly diverse.” A parks pass — or one of the free “passports” that track your visits — can help motivate you out of the house in 2019.
N.C. Zoo Membership. I hadn’t visited the N.C. Zoo since I was a kid, but I’ve been twice in the past year with my daughter. It’s a marvelous place to spend a whole day outside, with playgrounds, food, and plenty of distractions to keep children entertained. Also, animals.
Book a performance. My wife’s gift of Iron & Wine tickets this year was a hit, while my decision to take Dad to an experimental cello recital was less so. Neither of us enjoyed the avante-garde weirdness on stage, but skipping out at intermission to get ice cream made for a great memory.
Plan a family weekend. Whether your budget supports a night at a campground or a long weekend at a beach cottage, block out the time and make it a Christmas offering. The holidays are when we step back, think about the people we love, and relish the time together. There’s no reason you have to wait until next Christmas to do it again.
Community columnist Eric Johnson lives in Chapel Hill. Originally published on the op-ed page of the News & Observer.