While Dad and I were shopping on Saturday, we discussed another Christmas thing of the past: boxes. Not just any boxes, but mainly boxes for shirts or other clothing. Whenever I would go shopping for Mom or Grandma, they would always give the strict instruction to "ask for a box." The stores would give them to you for free, but you had to ask for them.
Now, I have a pretty good memory; too good, sometimes, but I digress. But there were quite a few times I would forget to ask for a box when the clerk was checking me out, only to get to the car and remember that I forgot to ask for a box, and have to bring my item and the receipt back to the store and show them to the clerk and ask for a box, hoping that they wouldn't think I was double-dipping them by wanting extra boxes. And heaven forbid I forgot to ask for a box and got home and had to face Mom and Grandma. And when you opened the presents, Mom and Grandma would remind us all to "save the box" so they could use them next year when I would forget to get a box at the store.
"Ask for a box" will be forever embedded in my brain. To this day when I go shopping, I have the urge to ask for a box, but unfortunately today they don't give them out. Today, when you receive a gift of clothing, it usually comes in a handy reusable gift bag. So at least you have a bag that you can reuse next year. But "Ask for a bag" just doesn't have the same ring to it.
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I got gift boxes at Shaheen's the other day. They even had the store logo on them, and they offered without asking! I was impressed.
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