Observation - Christmas 2008
12/26/2008
The Nancy and I survived the day. At 10pm we drug ourselves to bed having consumed too much food, too much drink and perhaps a slight overdose of kids on a Christmas high.
Christmas 2008 I joined the iPod generation, complete with an iPod docking station. Dude, I am in tunes! I can now sit on an airplane and tune out – no pun intended. I can be in a crowded room in with my ears stuffed with little speakers and completely ignore what is happening around me. I can listen to Rap and Bach and Willie. The world can collapse around me and I won’t care because I can be in the Zone. I am way too cool. I am a techno-giant, or at least I will be as soon as I figure out how to get music on this gizmo.
We had a wonderful Christmas meal with lots of family surrounding us – The Nancy’s family, past and present. We sat around a table in the kitchen and talked of good times of Christmases past and Christmases long past. We talked of people there and some who were not there. We spoke of those no longer with us and some of those yet to come. And there was lots of laughter and loads of love. And there were children there, excited and happy, and boisterous and loud, and they laughed and made me smile.
On the TV over my shoulder “The Bridges of Madison County” was showing. I so enjoyed the book back in 1992 that I couldn’t help but turn to it every so often. After the company left I moved into the family room to watch the end of the movie and got a tad emotional as I watched the photographer drive off leaving his reluctant, tearful lover behind.
As we wound down from the day’s activities The Nancy and Jackie moved back to the kitchen table for a rousing game of Uno with the three boys. There was laughter and joy for one game. Then the length of the day kicked in and exhaustion became evident as the boys began to quarrel and the adults had to jump into the parental mode. It was nearly 10pm and everyone was just about worn out. It was at that point I announced I had had enough of Christmas 2008 and called it a day. And I thought as I drifted in to a deep sleep, oh what a day it was! My 65th Christmas was indeed the best Christmas ever.
And that is all I have to say about that…