On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

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It is  December. Wasn’t it just summer? Weren’t we just complaining about the humidity?  Wasn’t I just cruising around our campsite in my tricked out golf cart ?

Yes, it’s Christmas time , the most wonderful time of the year. But now there is something new to complain about.  The traffic wars have been kicked up a notch and moved into the mall parking lots. This is a true battle zone that drivers have to contend with. And it is brutal.

You know it and I know it. No one gives the other guy a break. If you see a parking spot opening up, you can bet your bottom dollar three other  “space  hunters” have the same spot  in their scopes. Then the fun begins.

Tires squeal, pedestrians lunge for their lives, and the fastest, nuttiest nincompoop gets the spot. Then they have to sit and gloat over their accomplishment. Either that or they are hesitant to get out of their car just in case one of the losing contenders are lurking with key in hand waiting to leave a new “racing stripe” on their paint job.

Black Friday came and went with a few funny stories. People were leaving their packed shopping carts in the checkout lines while they whisked about the store looking for a few more items to cram in. The nerve of them!

Three guys were physically fighting over the last TV that was on sale in Target or Wal Mart. No crowded stores for me this year. I will be nestled safely in a retail free zone, in front of my computer. As George HW said, “not gonna do it.”

I actually bought six gifts that were on my list in a matter of 12 minutes. Done. I finally reached the point where I cannot go into a store at Christmas time other than maybe CVS, Stop and Shop , and maybe BJ’s only if it’s very early in the day, and crowd free. I just can’t be suffocated with the throngs of militant bargain hunters this year. I am officially “On Line Man.” Pick, click, and they deliver it!

I do miss that sweltering train ride, all bundled up sitting next to an old lady wearing half a bottle of Estee Lauder, on our way to see the Enchanted Village at Jordan Marsh. A lot of my friends have mentioned that they also miss the tradition of going into Boston with their parents and siblings. Remember that walk across the Common, with the trees all lit up, and seeing the reindeer? A lot of times the spectators were also lit up.

I guess we are just the lucky ones who keep that great memory alive in our hearts  forever. We can tell our kids, “ Now, when I was a kid Christmas was different…..”  Of course it was different. Different, but not better. The bulbs were bigger, every toy wasn’t electronic, and Santa looked like Santa. A lot of mall Santa’s dress like they just came out of some Charles Dickens book. Santa looks dumb wearing some turn of the century  bathrobe.

I still look forward to Christmas just like I did when I was a little tyke. I try to make it fun and exciting for my kids even though they are 28,15 and 13. Christmas is “awesome”, as the kids say!

My son says, “Dad, let’s put up every single decoration we have this year!”  I say, maybe. If we get a day with half decent weather , I’ll drag the ladder out and untangle the strings of lights. As long as the kids want me to do it, I will.  At any rate, as in every other Christmas season, you will be able to tell where the Italian lives on the street !

I love Christmas. I even love switching back and forth to those two FM stations playing the Christmas music – I must say, I do tend to favor the station that didn’t fire me! I also miss the days when you could actually call  a Christmas party, a Christmas party. Back in my day “PC” meant Peaceful Christmas!