It's been 25 years since one of my favorite Christmas films came out. There is just something about A Christmas Story that hits home for me. I don't know if it's the old-fashioned family Christmas aspect of it, or just the cute kids and the humor. There are so many parts that I can relate to and can remember from my own childhood.
I loved getting the family Christmas tree (ALWAYS a live one) and decorating it. And trust me, I did NOT come by my obsessive-compulsive-tree-decorating syndrome all on my own. Where do you think I learned that you have to hang icicles "one at a time." At least I'm not so consumed with being frugal, as my mother was, that I save the icicles from year to year, pressed in a Frank Sinatra magazine! The tree had to stand perfectly level too; I don't think we had a single tree in all my childhood years that was not leveled with the assistance of magazines under the stand. My dad would wander in and fling a couple of handfuls of icicles on the tree before being chased out by mom for not "doing it right." I think he did it on purpose!
Our trees always looked sort of like the tree in the movie though, with the big old-fashioned lights rather than the tiny mini-lights we have now.
A Christmas Story also brings back memories of all those Christmases with footed pajamas. I never had any that looked like pink bunny rabbits, but I did love my footed pajamas.
I love the movie and I can say that a couple of years ago I actually watched almost the entire 24 hour marathon on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. I especially love the scene at the end when the parents are sitting in the chair together watching it snow out the window. We don't get snow down here very often, but maybe one day!
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I remember the "Christmas Story" marathon. We watched the movie, and when it was over I asked, "Are you gonna watch it again?"
You said, "Yes," so I left you on the couch to go home to get some sleep.
When I came back about 10 hours later, there you were, on the couch, watching "A Christmas Story".
I can relate to a lot of what is in the movie. My first Christmas away from home, when I was in the Air Force stationed at Barksdale, was pretty lonely. Thank you Mr. Miller (of Miller Hi Life fame)and several other barracks dwellers for getting me through that one.
Germany was great. I loved Christmas in Germany. (One of the officers on base, and his wife, as their church ministry, invited single airmen to spend Christmas with them and to celebrate the holiday for it's true meaning. That officer is now retired, and we still talk on a regular basis.)
But the closest I've ever come to the Chinese restaurant scene was probably in 1986. I was working nights, I was single, my family was in Iowa,and I was in Louisiana. I went home Christmas morning, and went to bed and slept for almost 12 hours. I got up and drove to a truck stop and ate the turkey special. So, when that scene comes on, I think about people who don't have anyone to spend Christmas with, and I get a little sad.
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