I spend a lot of time in Chapters... and I mean, a LOT of time. I'm there usually once a week, I don't always buy something, but I do always leave with a bigger list of books to buy than I had before. I love books; poetry, fiction, fantasy, graphic novels, photography, children's, you name it! And that's not really a big surprise, I write, after all. And slowly, but steadily over the years I've been ticking off my ever growing list and reading new finds, falling in love with new books, and sometimes regretting purchasing others. The only downside to being a book-fanatic, is the price. Books are not cheap!
But the other day, I was at the mall picking up a game for a friend's Christmas gift, and I thought I might as well go into Chapters, just to look around. All my Christmas shopping was done, wrapped, and under the tree. But if there is a Chapters, I must go in it. The store was having this promotion, spend 50 bucks and you could win between 5-5,000 dollars off your purchase, or for use in-store. One of the workers handed me the little promotion card, and I thought, "I'm gonna have to spend 50 bucks just to get a measly 5 bucks off? Yeah... nah." And I came home and threw the promotional card in the trash.
Now fast-forward to that evening, my mum and dad ask me to pick up another board game for someone's gift, and these board games are not cheap, one table-top game is usually between 50-80 dollars. I remembered seeing the game we wanted at Chapters and thought, well, I could use that card and at least get 5 bucks off. So, I dug through the trash, okay, not literally, that would be gross. But I DID find it, just sitting on-top of the trash pile, waiting to be used, IT'S NOT LIKE IT WAS COVERED IN NASTY STUFF, OKAY! And besides, I figured, 5 bucks off is still 5 bucks off.
So my sister, Victoria, and I went off to Chapters to get the gift. We found it, took it up to the cash, and I handed over the trash-card and waited patiently. The cashier kind of looked startled and she turned to another cashier, who lit up and promptly congratulated me. I didn't know what for, but I said thanks. It's always nice to be congratulated. That's when my cashier said, "So, you won the 5,000 dollars."
It sort of took a while for that to sink in. I thought, "Oh wow, that's nice," and it wasn't until a few minutes after when I realized, "Wait... this is 5,000 dollars... that's like, 50 hundreds..." (CLEARLY I am an artist, I have no comprehension of numbers or what they're worth). But 5,000, that's quite a bit. They told me I had until the end of March to spend it, and, "wasn't it great, I could do all my Christmas shopping!" Well my shopping was done... for the most part. Over the next few days, I added to the gift piles I'd already wrapped; taken Victoria and my other sister Christine shopping to get them what they liked or always wanted. I even bought a few things for myself that I'd been eyeing - that marble cutting board and the marble salt container and the marble sugar bowl... and anything marble... but it wasn't until the end of the week when I finally went to get my first haul of stuff for myself.
To be honest, winning 5,000 dollars to spend at Chapters has been, both really nice, and taxing on me emotionally. Almost immediately I felt a sense of guilt for having won. I don't personally believe in luck, I think that what happens to you is what was meant to happen. I believe good things come to good people, and that the positivity and kindness you put out there always comes back around. But I still don't think that I've done anything to deserve a winning like that.
Three people won the $5,000 at the store where I won. I was one of three people to win... My Christmas shopping was done, and though it's always nice to get the things you've always wanted, I'm perfectly content with what I have. I thought for sure there was someone else who could've used it or needed it more than myself. For the first few days, I was buying things to add to other people's gifts. Now the gifts I have to give under the tree are overflowing, there's so much packed in under there. I've always liked giving gifts (probably because it means I can gift-wrap them, and I love an nice, clean gift-wrapping), even more than I like getting gifts. It's just nice to go out, and think about other people, and wonder what they might like, or need, and be able to get that for them. But everyone's been telling me to enjoy the winnings and get what I've always wanted, to tick off my list of books to read, and I've started doing that. I do plan on giving back a bit though. I purchased a book for a cashier yesterday after he was excited to see I was buying a book he really wanted to read, and I'd like to buy a bunch of children's books and take them to the paediatric ward at my local hospital, or maybe at my local Diabetes Clinic (where I've spent too much time), and overall, just making sure that the people I care about have the things they've always wanted (that they can purchase from Chapters, that is).
Sure I could easily go into Chapters and drop 5,000 bucks on myself. Although I've already run out of room to store the books I HAVE bought. But I've got too much of a guilty conscious, and besides, it feels good giving things to people, and it's Christmas, it's the season of giving. It never hurts to give a little back of the kindness you've received. So if you're looking for me this Christmas, check Chapters... and I suppose if you're looking for me any other time of the year... also check Chapters.
Happy Christmas everyone!