Simple Christmas Celebrations

by Charley Sutton

Holidays in my youth run together sometimes. I head down memory lane to look for that special moment and end up sidetracked to a dozen little memories tucked away in forgotten corners of my mind.

I make my memory sound like a thirty room mansion when I talk about my childhood. There are dozens of rooms up there. One of them smells like a fresh pine tree, and the memories slap you like plastic icicles on the television screen.

That is something you don’t see anymore. Those plastic icicles draped over a live tree and reaching out for the static electricity created by a cathode ray tube that console television sets used to have. I remember changing the television channel and getting shocked by those icicles. Our tree was covered in them. If you squinted your eyes just a bit, the aluminum colored plastic blended with the colored lights and sent dazzling sparkles across the tree.

Each year, Dad would watch all the classic Christmas specials just for me and my sister. It was the one time of the year he never made me change channels during the commercials.

At Christmas time, the commercials were aimed at kids. When a toy commercial would come on, I’d run to the living room and watch it. When it was over, I went back to my bedroom.

What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs, and makes a slinkity sound? Is slinkity a word? I don’t know about Noah Webster’s world, but it is a word in my world.

I miss simple Christmas presents sometimes. Big wheels, Evel Knievel playsets, and Play-dough. Hot wheels track and electric trains were exciting. Now, nothing seems to excite kids much. Technology has made simple Christmas harder to have each year.

I want something simple this year. I want a big hug and an “I love you” whispered to me by those I care about. That’s the only gift that should be important: the gift of love from your friends and family.

However you celebrate Christmas, I hope it brings you joy and good memories to carry you through the rest of your year. Merry Christmas to you and have a Happy New Year.

Charley Sutton is a maintenance technician from Peru, Indiana. An avid reader for as long as he can remember, he's always aspired to write. He has put pen to paper for almost as long. As he grows older, finding the time to write gets easier. Find him on Facebook.