Strange Gift

I had someone drop a package off at my desk today. It was a largish triangular tube. It was odd because I wasn't expecting anything. The shipping label said it was from some guy named Chris Harris in Florida. I don't know a Chris Harris.

So I opened the package and in amongst the packing peanuts is an umbrella. A full-sized umbrella. It's blue and white with a logo for Harper , VanScoik and Company LLP. They are CPAs and business advisors operating in Florida. I'm happy for them, they must be making a lot of money if they can randomly send out umbrellas to people they don't know. Having rarely received an unexpected shipment at work, and having never received an umbrella as a gift I have to say I'm a little unnerved.

Not like Halloween unnerved, more like I Know What You Did Last Summer unnerved. Now I get the umbrella metaphor for the CPAs, but why the hell are they sending it to me. It creeps me out. What am I going to get next? A body bag from some unknown car dealer? Wait, I guess that's not really a metaphor, it's more like a warning.

Here's my warning: Beware companies you don't know giving you things you won't use. Ah, the power of poorly planned and improperly executed marketing strategies. Makes me proud to be a capitalist. Anyone need an umbrella?