I Finally Have a Kindle!

I’ve wanted a Kindle since the day they came out. And when Amazon lowered the price to $139, I decided to get one as a consolation gift to myself, after selling our weekend place in northern Michigan. My plan was to buy the Kindle after we closed on the sale of the house. And since we were just weeks away from closing, I was excitedly anticipating my purchase. So I went to Amazon.com to compare the $139 model to the one for $189, which my son had told me was the one he preferred. He said something about WiFi not being the best option for downloading new material while away from home. That’s because I’d have to depend on somebody nearby having a public network that I could use. He told me to get the more expensive 3G model, but I planned on going with the cheaper one. I’d just download from home.

Well, a few days later, my husband brought an Amazon.com box into the house with the mail. I hadn’t been expecting anything, so I figured it was a backorder or something I’d forgotten about. But when I opened the box, I saw another box inside, with “Kindle” printed on it. I slammed the box shut as if I’d seen a ghost and quickly set it aside. My husband asked what was wrong, and I mumbled something about not remembering that I’d ordered that item.

Now this had me concerned. I’d been forgetting names of people when I ran into them in public and momentarily losing a word I wanted to use, but this was different. How could I not know that I’d placed an online order? And what’s next – making phone calls and not remembering? Forgetting where I’m going, or, worse yet, how to get home? I started thinking it was time to see a neurologist. It had to be a brain tumor! In the meantime, I didn’t touch the box again for a few days, intending to return it, in the event the sale of the house fell through.

Then, as I was worrying about my mental health, my son called to ask if I’d received a package from Amazon. It turns out that he’d gotten a promotion at work and decided to buy me the more expensive Kindle as a gift! I was SO surprised and so very touched by his generosity. But I was also uncomfortable about accepting something that cost $189 from my son, even though he could easily afford it. You see, my father pounded it into his children’s heads that we shouldn’t expect or accept anything from anyone. As children, my siblings and I used to try to return the small amounts of money that our grandparents gave us on special occasions. And even though, as an adult, I realize just how ridiculous that was, I still have difficulty accepting gifts, especially substantial ones like this.

But, happily, I’m handling it. And I absolutely love my Kindle! Even more important, though, is my relief at realizing that I’m not losing my mind. At least, not yet!

Photo by Sandy Laurence ©

I Finally Have a Kindle!