A gag gift for someone turning 32
A while back, I created this gag gift (with the help of a graphic designer friend) for my then-girlfriend. The story goes like this:
I had recently turned 30 and made a joke about how I received my “old age packet” that everyone gets when they turn 30. She (Italian, 31 at the time) informed me that it must be an American thing, because she never received one.
“It must have gotten lost in the mail,” I replied, “because it comes from the UN.”
Imagine her surprise when, on her 32nd birthday, a thick envelope arrived with a note explaining that this packet should have been delivered two years ago, but got lost.
It contained a letter from the UN “Council on Aging and Acceptance,” complete with fake letterhead, the names of officials who were current at the time of her 30th birthday (i.e. two years prior) and a series of pamphlets:
- How her schedule and habits must change
- An Italian-language supplement listing retirement homes, orthotic stores, etc. in her area
- A packet about cat care and senior fashion advice
I can see now that the Italian packet has some language errors—I wrote it when I had been learning Italian only for a year or two—but it worked well enough regardless. Also, I’ve omitted the last packet because, while maybe the funniest of all of them, it contained personal information that would be disrespectful to share without her consent.