Gift Ideas?

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Had a pretty bad day, and like most days, mine kept getting worse, but one of the low spots (at first) was the gas station. Job site near my house today, so meet the guys there instead of driving to the shop in the morning. Drop my kid off, stop at the gas station, no gas. Completely out. Employees apologize, it was supposed to be in last night, truck didn't come, should be there about 2pm. Just enough gas left, so I go to the job site.

Come evening, I pick my kid up, go to gas station again, pull in on fumes, and, no gas yet. Supposed to be there by 6pm. Okay, it's really a gas station, deli, bakery, general store thing, out in the middle of nowhere, so I buy the kid supper, he eats in the car, and we wait for the gas truck to show up. About 5:45 one of the employees comes out, says they got a call that the truck didn't leave until 5, they would have to stay open late so he could fill the tanks, he probably wouldn't be there until 10pm. I really don't want to try to drive to the next town, if there's one thing I know it's that you can't hitchhike with a little kid, I'm not sure what I'll do if I get stuck on the side of the road with my son, and at least at the gas station there is a heated store if we get cold, a bathroom, and some food. So the employee drove to the next town, with his own gas can, got 8 litres of gas, came back and put it in my car, so I could drive to the next town and fill up. Easily nicest thing any store clerk has done for me!

I'm in that place all the time, and definitely want to get him something, because I really appreciate the kind gesture, I'm just not sure what. Normally I would bake some biscuits or cookies or something, but there is a bakery counter in the gas station. If I can't think of anything better I'll probably just get him beer, but I don't even know if he drinks.

Do any of you have any ideas of nice gifts to give a super nice person?

[TheSHAD0W]

Wow, that really was nice of him.

It's really difficult to get a gift for someone you don't really know. Do you recall if he was wearing any jewelry of any kind? If he wasn't wearing a wristwatch, he might appreciate one. That's about the only thing I can think of right now...

[JustaCashier]

Is there another Employee there that you may be able to discreetly ask? Then maybe give the "Informant" a token amount of money, or token gift, if you are able to afford? (Especially if you wish to make the gift giving to the "Hero" a surprise).

A Gift Card (if available) for any larger Stores, restaurants, etc, in the next Town, that the guy might likely patronize?

[Trixie]

I wouldn't give up on the homebaked goods. Just because the store has a bakery doesn't mean the stuff is of the best quality. And homemade stuff always tastes better.

[ArcticChicken]

I agree that homemade baked goods aren't out of the picture. GIft cards are also good - If you can afford it, dinner for two at a NICE restaurant, or maybe something like an Amazon gift card.

Also, personally, I would include a bouquet of flowers and a heartfelt thank you card with whatever you get him.

[Seshat]

Chocolates or lollies are often enjoyed, especially the good quality ones. But again, you don't know if the person is diabetic or something.

Have your son write a card, if he's old enough. Or if not, make a card from one of his paintings (perhaps glue a nicely cropped part onto cardstock, with a cardstock trim around the edge).


Something I do - because I'm somewhat of an amateur artist - is give away art. I'll specifically make pieces of art for people, and give them to them. It seems to be genuinely appreciated; and it works even for people with allergies.


If you want to develop artistic ability for the specific purpose of gifts, I recommend flora. Not just flowers, because Manly Men often dislike flowers, but Manly Men can still enjoy a piece of art of a tree, or a cluster of mushrooms. Fauna can also work well, for the same reason.
And yes, crafts work just as well.