CHRISTMAS GOT LOST
I left the farm today, to do some Christmas shopping and to see the big city again. Since I left the big city five years ago, I seldom go back. But it's Christmas and some people will not be happy with a jug of home made syrup, or a jar of jam, so off to the city I went. The drive was nice, it takes about an hour, so lots to see. I was really antisipating the stores, people, and the Christmas lights. Yes the Christmas lights, these I first found when I was about eleven years old. When I was younger my grandmother always used ribbons, bows, and cones to decorate. The first stop was Salem WV, and as we drove into town you could see that they were doing their best to have Christmas lights. Salem is just a spit spot beside the freeway but they do have a Christmas there. To the bank we went, you always need money in the big city. As I sat in the truck waiting Santa Clause suddenly appeared and walked up to the truck. He smiled and handed me two small suckers, saying have a Merry Christmas, and just as quickly disappeared down the street. That was differant, strange, warming to my soul, maybe Christmas was still the same as I remembered.
On to the big city we went, up to the shopping Mall. There were people around, but nobody was saying Merry Christmas, I mean nobody. The clerks were pleasant but didn't express any Christmas greetings, just give me the money and move along. So I moved along from store to store spending money for things, that just became more weight to haul through the Mall. No lights, no music, no Santa or Elves, soon I couldn't wait to leave. Boy I was glad to leave that place, hoping since it was now dark to see the Christmas light of the big city. Traffic was thick so we drove slowly through town. Every where I looked there were no Christmas lights, and I do mean nowhere, not on the streets, not on the house's, not on the stores, what happened, were are the Christmas light's? It's true what the news had been saying, I couldn't beleive it Christmas had gotten lost in the big city. It was just give me money and move along, next please. This is what Christmas had become in the big city. The trip home was long and I kept wondering what had happened, who had take Christmas, who had frightened the big city so that they wouldn't show Christmas. Well as soon as we got home we turned on the Christmas lights and that helped, But I will tell you. It will be a long time before I go back to the big city. I'll do my shopping on-line, because the e-mail always say's "Merry Christmas". postamble();
