Go browsing

I buy most things online these days. I’m guessing you do too. When you know what you want, it’s so convenient to be able to skip the drive, the stores, the lines, and the hassle. Frankly, I’m not sure how my household would operate without Amazon Prime’s fast shipping!

That said, we don’t always know what we want. I recall a few years ago being stumped about what to buy tween boys for Christmas. Then I went to wander around a Target and found several fun ideas I wouldn’t have considered. It turns out I am not the only person in the world shopping for hard-to-shop-for people. I found several ideas that might not have come up with a search for “gifts for tween boys” but were workable nonetheless.

I have the same experience when I visit my local library every few weeks. I’m generally not looking for a specific title. Instead, I just browse and see what catches my fancy. In recent weeks I’ve wound up with books on the Chanticleer garden, tiny home design, and hikes in Vermont among other topics. I enjoyed reading all these books — and learning about something I wouldn’t have

So, this holiday season, consider setting aside a little time to experience the joy of browsing. We can go overboard on this of course. There’s little fun about battling Black Friday-sized crowds when you’re looking for a specific Lego set that a particular big box store might not even carry. Instead, I’m talking about going to a few fun stores and just seeing what’s there. We don’t always know what we want, and sometimes discovering something unexpected can be a source of delight.