Show THE m Tl D PERFECT W CT GIFT 1 J Ll Nichole Mitchell Writer Writer to Contributing t t. o I During my Thanksgiving vacation vacation vacation vaca vaca- tion I got to spend a lot time or-time driving The eager holiday shoppers shoppers shoppers shop shop- pers were out in full force in search of the perfect gift for their loved ones Seeing them made me begin begirt to think about what I would be be- purchasing purchasing purchasing pur pur- chasing for the people in my life I went over the usual list of things I would love to be able to get them but never will because it costs too much Then I started feeling sorry for myself because I do not have the means to spoil them rotten In the middle of my sulk I opened a letter that was given to tome tome tome me as a service project for one of the schools school's athletic teams Its contents were sobering It told of ofa a school in our own Salt Lake in which many of its students did not have families and therefore proper care Many of these kids do not even have shoes or coats Wow that made me feel like the worst person in the world There I sat only a couple moments before mad because I couldn't spend as much as I wanted on each one or any of my relatives The fact stood out tome tome to me now that I had something to spend a luxury that many do not have All my friends and relatives have sufficient means to keep them warm and d dry this winter yet there are children that are walking around barefoot in our community It is easy to walk passed the themen themen themen men dressed like Santa Clause that stand ringing bells in front of donation buckets at practically all our shopping centers What they're asking for is not a lot just whatever we feel like sparing Sometimes it is only a quick glance in their direction before re lowering our eyes to the ground We sc scurry by them quickly so they dont don't hit that little button we call guilt The fact is we are conditioned conditioned conditioned con con- to ignore them because eve everyone one wants our money When you really stop to think about it where do you want it to togo togo togo go Personally I am starting to think that I want to be responsible ble for helping someone to be warm this winter and spread a little hope that humanity isn't a bundle of self serving cows locked in the farmers grain bin I think that the perfect gift is something that will make lifes life's suffering a little more bearable for someone who has less than me C |