Im constantly surprised by the lack of thought that some people exhibit when choosing a gift. I dont equate gift selection with rocket science, but perhaps for some its just as challenging.

I remember a Christmas years ago when I shared a large apartment with three other students. No one was making the journey home that year, so we decided to create our own celebration, complete with turkey dinner and (inexpensive) gifts.

Before going shopping, I thought about my roommates and made a quick list of their interests and hobbies. Susan was a keen cook so I chose a classic cookbook for her, along with a cute 'kitchen witch'. Her husband Jim loved music, so after asking Susan the name of his favorite band, I bought him their latest CD, one he didnt have in his collection. Peter was a keen hiker, so I drove to the nearest camping store and found him a great water bottle insulator.

Christmas morning arrived, and after a leisurely breakfast, we gathered around the tree to open our gifts. Susan and I exchanged ours first, and I was surprised to discover she had bought me three frilly coat hangers. Yes, they were pretty but they were so not me.

Then Jim handed me a package and I found myself clutching three womens magazines. Id always been a fan of non-fiction books, and the last thing Id ever read was one of these publications.

Finally I opened Peters gift. Hed bought me four white soup bowls! And not especially attractive bowls these were the kind youd find on sale at Kmart.

As I sat on the floor surrounded by this bounty, I felt like Id entered a parallel universe. How could these people not know me, after 12 months of sharing a living space? All of us were completing post-graduate studies at the same university and wed had many conversations about our lives and aspirations. We certainly got on well and I thought of them as friends. Yet not one of them had chosen a gift that was relevant to me.

By contrast, each of them was pleased with the item I gave them, so much so that Susan remarked, You know, a lot of thought went into choosing these gifts. No, I responded silently. Just a little common sense.

It only takes a few minutes to consider what you know about a person. What are their likes and dislikes? How do they spend their free time? What interests them? What do they talk about? And if youre not sure what kind of gift theyd like, for pitys sake, ask their best friend or their mother!

No one gets excited about soup bowls.