Just a note to begin this blog entry. My Dear Wife oftens chastises me for my inappropriate humorous comments that quote "aren't funny". But get this, she went to her exercise class the other day and bumped into Steve, the electrician. He installed our outdoor sidewalk lights in October and we still don't have a bill. His comment to Shelby was "have we billed you yet"? Her answer, now get this was "you sure did, you cashed our check". Your mom made a funny! Tis the season.
When you have children, Christmas is all about giving. It can be a hug. It can be a Christmas pagent. It can be Church on Christmas Eve. Usually what kids remember is the loot that they receive from Santa.
As I wipe away the cobwebs of my mind, my childhood had some memorable gifts. I still think it is better to receive than give. My first memory was an erector set. I mean a big red medal chest filled with structural metal parts including a little motor for driving some of the creations. Wow. Well, this gift wasn't for me. It was for my Dad until he grew tired of it and then I could have it. I must have been about 10 years old. After all the presents were opened from under the tree, my Dad began to build a rotating Merry-go-round. It was built on the kitchen table and I was allowed to watch. He called his friend Harold Peters to help build the Merry-go-round and these two "rocket scientists" proceded with the endeavor. Because it was so complex, the effort continued for days and "boy was I having fun watching". By the time it was done, it looked like an "Edsel" car design. It didn't work. So slowly the two "big boys" got tired and I got my erector set. It was a special toy and I did build things that worked. The Erector Set was memorable.
When I was about 13, brother Jack and I got matching red pull-over fleece jackets. My parents thought we looked really cute but in today's jargon we probably could have played elf pimps on a TV-sitcom. Bad, really bad.
When I was 16, I wanted a leather bomber jacket similar to the Fonz's on Happy Days. It was the vogue of the day and it conveyed toughness. Yep, that is what I wanted. I did get a brown one and it was the best. I wore it for years. There have been times that I wanted to buy another but each time I go out to buy, I take my life partner along. She always convinces me to buy a longer design leather jacket to cover my fat butt. She is probably right from a style correctness standpoint. So I never quite get back to living the past with a bomber jacket but maybe someday I'll get past how it looks and buy what makes me happy.
Actually my last memorable gift was when I was about 19 and going to UW-Oshkosh. The Steger's informally adopted me (actually they couldn't get rid of me) and I was at their house for a Christmas "present-opening" event. George and Lyla gave me a RCA Stereo Hi-Fidelity record player. Stereo was the new thing! It was portable and you separated the speakers with an extension cord. I also had stereo albums to go with the player. That record player followed me through college and was in our living rooom for many years. I know some of the Grasshoppers remember the demo record that had a train leaving a station and slowly, very slowly moving from one speaker to another. That record somehow disappeared but it was special.
Since that time, my memories have switched to giving! I do get a good feeling knowing that just maybe, the recipient of a gift will get a life long memory and then possibly pass that feeling along to someone else. Maybe that is what they call maturity.
But still, you can't take away the memories of viewing Christmas "through a kids eyes". The anticipation. The excitement. Oh my, oh my.
Love,
Dad
That was a good post, but I'm still trying to absorb the fact that my dad used the phrase "my fat butt". It's just one of those things I never thought I'd read.