Giving and receiving gifts is definitely not my love language. I am also not typically excited about getting little bobbles and things that are relatively cheap. For some reason, though, I get excited about the cheap little things that I get from work, like I am getting some sort of cool loot. In most every job I have had I have gotten a steady stream of low-quality doodads with the company logo on it.This is a sample of what I have gotten in the last five years:
- More t-shirts, polos, and fleeces than I know what to do with
- A fleece blanket
- A coaster
- Clips to hold papers up on a cubicle wall
- A coffee thermos/cup
- Lots of pens
- At least one plastic cup
- Pins
- A koozie
- A keychain/bottle opener
- A diamond shaped crystal in a blue felt display box
The most unique item I received was in a ten year company anniversary party. Everyone in the company was given a closed felt box. When we opened the box, there was a glass diamond with the company name etched in it inside. Then, like now, I thought that was a cool gift, but it was about the most impractical thing the company could give. The box isn't great as a display case and a big diamond-shaped piece of glass is an accident waiting to happen.
The last thing I got was a pen a couple of days ago. It lights up in alternating colors, most of which I can't identify. These were handed out at our user conference a few months ago and I was able to hit my manager up for one when I found out there were a few extras laying around.Of course, the happiness for this stuff only lasts a short while, but what happiness it is.
6 comments:
ooo cool pen...
So dust, I knew the more formal definition for swag. I never knew until tonight when I looked it up in the dictionary that it was slang for stolen property or loot. Where did you learn that? It's so far removed from the traditional meaning?
My favorite was the cheap trucker's hat that had the company logo on it. It was usually an all-white one-size fits all that increased your heigth by four or five inches. Donning those caps made me way too cool for school.
Dar, glad to have you back! You look cold. What's the weather like there?
I had never heard the word swag. I didn't know it meant stolen loot.
I'm always a little bothered by how much the "gifts" presumebly cost. Why not just give me a AMC / Shell / Applebees / Wal*Mart gift card and dump bucks on it everytime you want to give me some sort of motivational chatchka.
I have a Dilbert from the 2001 caledar up on my overhaed filing cabinet. In the strip, Alice is awards the "Stone of Quality" and told that it cost $500 to have it engraxed and shipped from New Zealand. The next frame shows two policeman standing over the boss's body. One cop say to the other ... we haven't found a weapon, but there is this cool motivational rock.
... priceless.
I never know what to do with my "awards" after leaving a company. I held on to my cool DREAM TEAM member award for years after the company that I dreamed for had ceased to exist. Oh well... at least I still have my motivational cube that tells me to "stay focused" and "ignite my inner fire".
That translates to "ignore others" and "prepare for burn-out".
You were wearing a company shirt the other night.
Somehow, company pride is just not the same as school pride.
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