I was very fortunate to have grown up in a very small Midwestern town back in the 50's and 60's. Like the folks in Mayberry, our Christmases were very simple. We had no malls to rush off to and most of our Christmas shopping was done in the small family shops within our town. Our tree was never perfect, but it was always a special event to go out into the woods to cut it down ourselves. If my mother needed something she could not find in town she often turned to the Montgomery Ward catalog. The days leading up to Christmas were usually spent doing the Christmas baking and sending of greeting cards. For us kids the special day was when Santa Claus came to town. We all went to the village hall on the Saturday before Christmas where free movies were shown and Santa arrived to hand out bags of goodies which usually included an apple, popcorn ball, peanuts, and hard Christmas candy. Compared to today's standard's it wasn't much, but to a little boy whose family didn't have much, it was a very special treat that was greatly appreciated. A loud speaker was placed upon a telephone pole on Main Street and Christmas Carols could be heard throughout the day and night as people strolled down the street. Our school Christmas program almost always included a nativity scene and our Christmas Eve church services reminded us of the real reason for Christmas. I become very nostalgic every time I watch "The Christmas Story". Unless one has experienced Christmas in a small town in days gone by, I don't think that wonderful episode can be truly appreciated to its fullest.
Kenneth G. Anderson 2906 May Street Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54701 715-839-8470 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.mayberryreflections.com _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list [email protected] http://mail.wbmutbb.com/mailman/listinfo/wbmutbb_wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
