What do hula hoops and gift wrap have in common? Nothing.
Or so I thought.
Enter a sweet older man hauling a purple hula hoop and a professional jump rope into the flag and gift-wrapping shop where I work one day a week. It’s called “Festival of Flags and Gift Wrapping,” although during the Christmas season I wanted to change it to “Flags and Festival of Gift Wrapping.” We (the four women who work during Christmas) wrapped gifts until our fingers bled from wrapping paper cuts, our carpals reached the end of their respective tunnels, and we began seeing only red and green, unable to tell our swollen legs and ankles from the tall rolls of paper and piles of gifts to be wrapped.
But I digress.
(That’s a whole ‘nother story anyway.)
But I digress.
(That’s a whole ‘nother story anyway.)
This sweet man told me it was his wife’s birthday and he needed the two gifts wrapped separately. But that was after he walked in, held up the purple hula hoop and said, “Can you wrap this?”
I hesitated.
On non-Christmas season days our shop is a one-woman show.
Had I ever wrapped a hula hoop before? No.
Did we have a box to fit a hula hoop? No.
Did we have paper large enough to go around a hula hoop? No.
But. . .
Could it be done?
Yes.
Just like the little engine that could, I told myself, I think I can. I think I can.
Bravely I replied, “Why yes, I think we can! We don’t have a box, though.” I proceeded to describe all the ways I thought it could be done.
“Whatever you can do, as long as it is wrapped,” he agreed, leaving the shop with a trusting smile on his face. How could I refuse?
I called my boss, the shop owner, and explained my predicament and my thoughts. She gave me a much-needed boost of confidence and so I spread paper, the hula hoop, and myself all over the floor of the shop and showed that hula hoop who was boss that day.
I hesitated.
On non-Christmas season days our shop is a one-woman show.
Had I ever wrapped a hula hoop before? No.
Did we have a box to fit a hula hoop? No.
Did we have paper large enough to go around a hula hoop? No.
But. . .
Could it be done?
Yes.
Just like the little engine that could, I told myself, I think I can. I think I can.
Bravely I replied, “Why yes, I think we can! We don’t have a box, though.” I proceeded to describe all the ways I thought it could be done.
“Whatever you can do, as long as it is wrapped,” he agreed, leaving the shop with a trusting smile on his face. How could I refuse?
I called my boss, the shop owner, and explained my predicament and my thoughts. She gave me a much-needed boost of confidence and so I spread paper, the hula hoop, and myself all over the floor of the shop and showed that hula hoop who was boss that day.
This is the result. What do you think?
My boss said I did good.
To the next customer who wants to bring in something odd needing wrapping,
I say, “Bring it!”
XOXO
April Coker, Author 