Christmas Shopping

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Christmas shopping! I meet it with mixed emotions. Time was when I would find myself running all over town on Christmas Eve trying to locate that special thing, buy it, get it wrapped and under the tree before the family started unwrapping gifts. The last few years, especially this year, has been different. Around Thanksgiving Day family members started marking things in catalogs as worthy gifts---things they would like to see under the tree with their names on them. My wife and I received 8 catalogs in the mail one day. We thought that was a lot. Our daughter received 18 in one day. I did all my shopping at the computer this year. It only took me a few minutes. Oh sure, the postage does seem high but with gas prices the way they are, I figure I saved in the long run. I still have one gift to buy. I know right where to find it. It won't take me long to drive to the store. The parking will not be difficult. I will get in the store and right out again. As I sit here thinking about it, three weeks before Christmas---I meet it with mixed emotions. It all seems too easy, effortless. I don't feel pushed, pulled, harried. My feet are not burning, my back is not hurting. Darn! I kinda miss feeling like a worthy father, devoted husband that will go through all kinds of crud to get just that special thing for that special person. Flip, anybody can push a few keys, print in a credit card number and tell the shopping cart to head for the checkout. Oh well, I see the football game is coming on in ten minutes I guess I better get a cup of coffee and head for the T.V. Selah