The fellow walked along storefronts. The town was of moderate size, maybe 25,000 people. Commerce was spotty in the old downtown. Regional shopping malls had long ago soaked up consumer attention. These days only specialty shops anchored the quiet street. Online shopping was rapidly becoming the norm.

Delivery vans rumbled about, and doorsteps were littered with the boxes dropped off. Clearly the country was in love with online shopping.

The fellow half wittedly scanned store windows. Nothing seemed noteworthy. No, he would have to get his ideas elsewhere. He did have shopping to do but he had limited means and even fewer ideas. His Santa days were long gone. He had fun back then, playing Santa. Making dreams come true for others had been a deeply felt emotion. The spirit of the season had truly captured him. But that was then and this is now.

What to do?

Show up of course at family gatherings. Share conversation and feelings well. Be present. That, they said, was present enough. Still, it did not feel the same. He felt somewhat hollowed.

Of course, the practical was very real for them now. Paying routine bills absorbed most of their income. Still, life was interesting and fun. So many books to read and think upon. So many TV programs of value to watch. It took time to find the good ones, but he had learned how to do it. Keeping busy with pro bono clients proved to be fun and challenging. The friendships earned doing this were very rewarding, too.

Well, be present, watch others build their lives much as he had. Enjoy the cheer of the gathering and especially sample all the food! Lord, there was much to taste and enjoy!

Then, a little later in the day, when the festivities had wound down and people were slipping off to other family gatherings, he took his leave and returned to a quiet home. Warm and comfortable. Routines to resume. Books to pick up and read. Maybe even a movie to watch on the TV? Well, yes; if it proved a poor selection, a nap would be welcome while the TV droned on to a weak conclusion.

Yes. The holidays are here. Yes, they are celebrated. They are respected. They are remembered in fullness of past activities. The present just seems worn and tired. But it is OK. Routines are ready for return.

And the beat goes on.

December 13, 2022

 

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Intimacy

As we mature, we become deeply involved in relationships. Some of this is basic family relations – siblings, parental – and the like. Next is friends who enter our homes and we theirs. Neighbors, classmates, mutual hobbyists and so forth. Then we develop friendships that go much deeper. We comfort one another when we are hurting physically or emotionally. We discuss the matters of life and learn much more about ourselves and each other. We can even anticipate how others will react to various situations and stimuli. Good friendships do not spread to everyone we know. No, good friendships are special, close and deeply personal. We focus attention and brainpower on these few friends. Some special relationships focus on specific topics of interest and importance. Yes, we have specialized friendships. Most common. But one day, we get to know one person very well. An emotional connection forms with deep roots. A need to know the person more fully expands in personal ways. We sense this b...
Read more

Bits & Pieces

Pie: Apple pie more specifically. With Thanksgiving just passed, many of us enjoyed a good apple pie. Sure, there was pumpkin to accompany the turkey, but in our family multiple pies are offered in the holidays. Apple is surely one. Pecan, pumpkin and others, too. But I almost always choose apple. When I was in college, I was asked what kind of pie did I eat most often. In front of my mom, I answered apple, because I was always looking for a pie as good as mom’s own. Of course my mother was pleased, but it was a true statement just the same. When I was married, Ann’s pie was darned good. Her mother’s recipe. But we fiddled with the recipe until it took on its own generational name, and boy, was it good! Today I still order apple pie for dessert because I am always looking for a great pie to challenge our family recipes. I rarely do find such a prize. Do others do the same? Do you search for a great pie of choice, continually? If you do, what’s your story? Why do you do this? ...
Read more

Remembering Tom Sherlock

Tom Sherlock died on Wednesday, April 3rd. He was 65 years old and did not survive a heart surgery. That was his unexpected end and sad enough. But there is more to his story. Tom joined Dan Schuyler and George Safford to create what became the Village Chronicles, a weekly newspaper serving Warrenville, Illinois. That paper expanded to serve Winfield and then West Chicago. The paper published for eight years and built a good reputation for itself. Tom served the paper in several ways. He was our information technology guru, provided hardware and software to support the paper's operations. He was our sole bookkeeper, accountant and financial manager. He designed our distribution process and provided office space for meetings and layout and typesetting. His efforts supported the work of 32 volunteers who wrote and reported on the communities we served.  The newspaper broke even financially most of the time, but it was a struggle. Tom managed to find money to keep the newspaper afloat...
Read more