Worst marketing idea, ever

I have written about work often, usually the more bizarre and ridiculous parts of my job. There are, however, a lot of people I truly like, respect and admire here. This division also does have elements of a family - a bit of a warped family, but hey, whose family isn't. Where this is most evident is when people at work lose family members, which has happened quite a bit here lately.

Over the past two years, I can not even begin to count the number of people who have lost someone close to them. I would say over half the division has lost someone close to them. It started with this one woman I work with, whose husband lost a battle with cancer after suffering for many years. He was in his early 40's. Then the flood gates have opened to the point at which it seems like there is a new notice of someone's loss every week.

This past Tuesday, we got notice that two people had both lost their father. The division donated flowers and cards, but these were two of my favorites in the division, so I wanted to write a personal note to each of them. I went to the sympathy card section at Target (an area I know all too well lately), and I could not believe what I saw: A six pack of sympathy cards. Advertised as a "Great Value", I think the idea was to have inventory on hand, you know, just to be prepared.

Call me old fashioned, but I think there are certain situations that you want to be stocked up with supplies, and this is not one of them. I hope no shopper was swayed by this tempting appeal. I can see it now, "yeah, I only needed a card for Aunt Barb, but Uncle Bob hasn't been looking to good lately..."

Even worse, where would you keep something like that? In my little home, I know where my bulk package of Toilet Paper is located, and where I keep the extra Paper Towels and Kleenex. For the life of me, I don't know where I would keep my bulk pack of sympathy cards, and even worse, I would hate to have to remember where I put them (yes, lets see, Sympathy cards, sympathy cards.... I think I put them somewhere near the toilet paper, or possibly by the rat poison.)

It is my old fashioned nature again, but times like this, for people you care about, I think is worth an unscheduled trip to the card shop. I would rather spend a little extra money to get something a bit more personalized, and not worry about the fact I missed the chance to save a few cents with the value pack option.