Christmas Memory

Students are getting antsy for Christmas – even at this age. I think we are all looking forward to the break, even more than the gifts.

I miss making those long ring ropes in elementary school. You remember? The ones from strips of red, green, black, and white paper. Then you glue them together to form a long string of small circles. Then you tear one off each day as you count down to Christmas. I remember having one when I was a child living in our house in town. It seemed so long. And despite the passing of days, it seemed like those circles would just replenish themselves.

That might have been the greatest Christmas ever. It would have been around 1982 or so.

From what I recall, we had our Cub Scout’s Pine Derby ternament. I place first and won a medal. When we returned home, Barb, my sister, was perched on the heater reading a book. She informed me that she just heard on the radio that Santa had been spotted over some foreign country. That was the greatest news ever.

Soon Granny arrived, and we began opening presents. There must have been a meal, but I remember nothing of it. I just couldn’t wait to tear into the presents. In fact, I already had all of mine stacked off to the side.

I had spent days stacking and re-stacking them and even inspecting all the other gifts, just in case I had missed one for me.

When I would re-stack them, I would pick them up and shake them. Then I’d try to stare through the wrapping paper (one present featured a Santas all over it, so I carefully stared at the white spots in his beard and hat hoping to catch a glimpse of the package beneath). When that failed, I began to inspect the weak spots in the packaging. If I fished an index finger in and tried to pry the packaging apart – careful not to tear the tape (I had learned that the previous Christams – it’s too hard to re-attach the Scoth tape. It always tore the packaging, so it was a dead give away that I had been snooping. This never went over well with Mom.) I could peak into the crease to hopefully see what was beneath the packaging either a Star Wars or GI Joe insignia.

In fact, I already knew I was getting the GI Joe battery operated tank, which also came with its own driver (GI Joe was the first toy line to do this. What a brilliant idea. Whenever I bought a Star Wars vehicle, it never came with an action figure, so I usually didn’t ask for them. If I had an action figure, I could turn anything into a vehicle (years earlier when I had a broken ankle I even turned my bedpan into one while I was in the hospital) So when GI Joe came out with vehicles that included action figures, I couldn’t get enough. Of course, the kicker was that you couldn’t get the figure except with the vehicle) because Mom didn’t have quite enough wrapping paper and she had to leave a small spot uncovered, which plainly read “Batteries Not Included” and the only thing I had asked for that could be that size and weight was the GI Joe Battle Tank. I was ecstatic. Knowing that I was getting it was, in fact, better than actually opening it. I spent afternoons and math classes just thinking about the upcoming battles I would have with it.

Finally, Mom, Dad, Granny, Kevin, and Barb joined me in the living room and we got down to opening some presents. Guess what I went for first? My tank. Why I didn't hold off until later with this, I don't know. I guess I couldn't wait any longer.

Of course, I feigned surprise. I set it off to the side and began opening more. I remember getting the other GI Joe figure I wanted so dearly: the ski trooper.

I don't recall what else I opened that night, but I remember staging battles with that ski trooper all night.

Mom finally forced me to bed. But I couldn't take it. There were still more presents under the tree. Plus, Santa was sure to add more.

While I don't recall most of the gifts I opened that night, I do know for a fact that I did not sleep more than an hour that night. I just couldn't stop thinking about what might be under the tree.

Blessed morning arrived and I couldn't take it anymore. I woke Mom and Dad - who seemed none too thrilled to be up at that hour. Finally, they got up and made it to the tree.

The rest is a blur of wrapping paper and glee.