7 Reasons A Child Should Never Be Given The Guinness Book Of World Records
1. It’s a book. There is nothing worse than receiving a book when you are a child. Especially when the book contains stupid facts about the smallest puddle and the biggest conker found in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
2. The child will have to look happy. They will be suppressing their true feelings. Feelings of anger and pain. They are basically lying to themselves and everyone else. Their future is now one of self-harm or joining MI5.
3. Everyone else in the room will say, “Wow! That’s exciting. Tell us something amazing.” And that’s when the child finds out that conkers are unusually large in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. And then they want to kill themselves. The child. Not the conkers.
4. The child will know the giver had forgotten about them. They will know the giver had to rush into Waterstone’s. They will know the giver picked up the first thing they saw on the ‘Great Gift Ideas’ table. They will be plotting revenge for years.
5. In all likelihood the child was given the book by their great aunt. This involves kissing the great aunt to say thanks. The great aunt wears dentures and smells a bit funny. It will put the child off sex with an OAP for life. (Actually, that’s probably a good thing isn’t it?)
6. It makes the child look like a geek. When all their friends come round after school to play Thundercats, Lion-O will see the book on the shelf and laugh. Cheetara and Panthro will join in. News will get back to the school and teachers will immediately label the child as a ‘swotty’ type. Forevermore they will be overlooked for the Netball team.
7. The child will age into an adult. One day they will forget that they need to buy a present for their great nephew. Thinking back to their childhood they remember getting The Guinness Book Of World Records. They head to Waterstone’s and another generation has to go through this unnecessary torture.
This is not based on a personal experience. Okay, yes it is. I wasn’t alone, was I?