Getting Personal

                The Fast and the Furious - Shopping for Gifts for Men
            
                "Furious" is probably not exactly the reaction you are trying for when seeking out gifts for men or when you think about selecting that special gift for that special man in your life! So what reaction do you want? Well, ideally something a bit more enthusiastic than the "yes thank you dear, it's very nice" response that even the best thought out and most carefully selected gifts for men usually elicit.

Ideally you'd like to see his eyes light up (but not in a scary alien way!). Better still you'd like to see his hair stand on end (but only in a slightly scary manner). Best of all you'd like him to take you in his arms and whirl you around the room in a fast and furious fashion. There you are you see, you do want a furious reaction! Of course, this could be particularly interesting if you do your gift giving in a crowded restaurant and you could find yourself the envy of all the other women whose gifts for men in their lives have still not managed to earn them more than a "very nice dear, thank you".

The trouble is that even when he does say it's very nice, we are not convinced, are we? We find ourselves saying "you don't like it do you?" and he assures us that he does. But we're still not convinced so we ask again "do you really like it?" Again he repeats that it's "very nice" but no, we're still not satisfied. "Are you sure?" we say. And we keep asking until he gets a little bit cross, not furious, just a little irritable. He says "I've told you I like it, now stop going on about it!" And then we're even more sure that we've got it wrong because if he really liked it, surely he wouldn't react like that, would he? Why are gifts for men so difficult to get right? And when we do get them right, why do we need so much reassurance that we have done so? 

How do you find gifts for men with real wow factor that leave you in no doubt that you have got it absolutely spot on? Think about it. What was it that attracted you to this guy in the first place? Was it his sense of adventure? His competitive nature? His technical competence? His desire to go out and conquer the universe and be back in time for tea? The secret of successful gifts for men is to find something that will bring out the best in him, that will make him feel like and act like the hero of your dreams (and his). So why not give him an experience day that he'll remember forever? 

What exactly will press your man's buttons? What will set his pulse racing and his heart pumping? The surge of a powerful engine? The smooth curve of a racing track? Or a sideways roll-over on rough terrain? The roar of a Harley Davidson on the open road? The rush of free-falling through the air? Or the thunderous sound of rushing water? 

Would he enjoy competing with other speed-merchants on the Karting track? Or working as part of a team to conquer the white water rapids? Would a dose of aerobatics set his head spinning? Would he revel in the thrill of putting his life in the hands of a professional racing driver? Or would he be itching to get his own hands on the controls? 

OK so there's no guarantee he'll whirl you round the room the moment he opens his gift pack but when he says "thank you, it's very nice" you can be pretty sure he means it. The real reward will come for you on the day he actually goes and has his fast and furious experience. And be prepared to listen to him going on and on about it afterwards, not just to you but to his mates as well. The best gifts for men are the ones that give them something to brag about. He'll delight in telling everyone the size of the engine, how much the thing is worth and how fast it went. And if you notice that the story gets a little bit exaggerated each time, the engine a little more powerful, the price tag a little higher, the speed a little faster, whatever you do, don't correct him! Just bask in the fact that it was all down to you that he had the experience of a lifetime and lived to tell the tale, over and over and over again. If only all gifts for men could give them so much satisfaction!