30th Dec 2006
"I’m allergic to taxidermied animals."
I’m going to try and use that line whenever I can.
As you know, I’m having my own informal celebration of Discardia, in which I clean out the home and office of things that we don’t need or want. By “clean out,” I don’t mean “throw out,” but recycle in some fashion.
Fortunately, Los Angeles County has better than average recycling, so everything (paper, plastic, cardboard) that can be recycled is finding a place in the bin. I’ve tried to use freecycle and Craigs List, which might work in your neighborhood, but here no one seems to want my crap.
But what about those gifts? 
For example, say you were given a pink fleece shirt (just pretend). What could you do with that, if say, you found it appalling?
Discardia has the answer.
How can you part with unwanted gifts without considering it an insult to the giver?Give everyone permission not to be able to read your mind and give yourself permission to change. The intent of gift giving is to make someone feel good (and/or to repay a social obligation). Recognize the act and the intent. Perhaps keep the gift around for a courteous amount of time, but on no account lie excessively about how much you like things you don’t - you don’t want to set yourself up for a matching bad gift the next time. Once the necessary niceties have been observed enough to communicate your gratitude for the intent, you should part with unwanted gifts without guilt. Disposing of them may require more discretion than with other things - the yard sale which the giver is likely to attend is a bad method, but the bottom of your Goodwill bag covered by that shirt that doesn’t fit anymore is just dandy. Quietly get rid of it and if the giver asks about it later, say something about your appreciation of the occasion and their thoughtfulness, but that it just didn’t fit with your other things.
Note: there are some gifts into which a great deal of hard work was put. For these, it is probably best to come clean and let the giver have the opportunity to take back their artistic efforts rather than sneakily disposing of it. Bite the bullet and say “I really appreciate your making me something so special. I am impressed by your thoughtfulness. Unfortunately, this painting just doesn’t fit with the rest of my decor/I don’t wear the color of this hand-knit sweater/I’m allergic to taxidermied animals…” Whatever. It might be a rough conversation, but it’s better than the “You gave away my masterpiece to Goodwill?!!!” one
I’m allergic to pink fleece.
