I was 16. I was doing my Art GCSE and I kept taking the scissors from the kitchen because it involved a lot of cutting and sticking. My mum got super annoyed with me.
I have 2 older brothers. One had recently moved into uni so he got some sheets with a world map in it, something he was very interested in at the time and an expensive rucksack for his uni work. The other brother had just recently landed a new job, so he got some posh shoes and some merino wool jumpers. In total, their presents probably cost about £100-£200 each and all of them were beautifully wrapped.
Me?
I got handed a plastic bag, inside was a pair of £3 scissors. I received nothing else that Christmas.
ConfidenceIsLow
When I unwrapped it, my brothers – even my dad – went silent.
Grandma: “Do you like it? All of the boys by me have them.”
My brother: “They must be some strange boys…”
Dad: (to my brother) “Shaddap! (To me) “You OK?”
He could see my eyes tearing-up.
I was probably 11 or 12…..and I’m thinking:
“Why is she giving me a large, woman’s handbag??? I’m a boy!!”
She was annoyed/insulted, but she took it and promised to exchange it for something else.
Decades later and I’m still ‘WTF???’