Buy A Kid A Book!

It's almost Christmas! And even if you're not a Christmas person, you'll probably still shell out dough for something lousy, something that a loved one (or boss) probably doesn't need, or even want. Junk, really.
But it has to be done. And a random swipe of a trusty credit card will make it happen, take the chore off of your plate. You're only a Chia Pet or Ginsu Knife away from not even having to think about it anymore. And wrapping? Hey, that's just a little newspaper and duct tape.
Finis.
But if you're getting a gift for a young person, an impressionable mind, then a Ronco Rhinestone Applicator won't do. Not even an Ironman Action Figure will suffice. Or a Wii.
Seriously.
Remember back to those long-gone yesteryears. What was the best gift you ever received? It was a book, right? Right! The Hobbit, The Cay, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Conan of Cimmeria, War of the Worlds, and on and on and on and on...
Books are the things that last; in your mind and on a shelf somewhere. They might even be ready for a re-read. And inside the jacket flap is a scribbled line that says "Merry Christmas! Love Grandma" or Aunt June or Mom or Santa or somebody that loved you enough to give the very best gift.
It doesn't require batteries. Or make an obnoxious noise. And hardly ever wastes time. A book teaches patience, it rests the soul and races the mind and lasts.
Where's all that electronic junk you got when you were a kid?
Uh-huh.
So buy a kid a book for Christmas. They make an excellent birthday gift as well. Or just a nice surprise. You'll be doing the kid a favor, and the world, too.
But skip Harry Potter or Twilight --they already read those.