It happens

  They had a piece on television talking about traveling. The holiday season is approaching. Yes, it is that time again, back to school then "hallow thanks christmas year". We should all start planning for that right now. The deals are out there. The story was talking about not only domestic travel, you know, over the river to grandma's house but international travel holiday packages. A trip down the Danube on a riverboat for Christmas was featured. The narrative was how reasonable the prices were going to be this year. Oh yeah, the economy is doing great, you can afford that. 

  It's a recurring theme this home for the holiday's thing. I laugh every year about all the Hallmark movies centered on that. Family driving and flying in from all the corners of America. They all get together in the grandparents mansion, the typical American family. Generally, a romance will flourish or be revived, some deep emotional trauma will be healed. Other made for television movies center on being in foreign places for the holiday season, perhaps skiing the Alps. Money is never an issue in any of these adventures, even when the family is on the brink of bankruptcy. Yes, even when they are down to their last million, the bonds of family are stronger, and everyone is together again.

  I suppose all of that is entertaining to some, but I just find it unrealistic. It certainly wasn't that way when I was growing with my family. I didn't know anyone that was doing any of that. Heck, we had family that lived three miles down the road and we didn't see them until spring. But it is a nice fantasy I'll give it that. If only the real world worked that way. Everyone so understanding, so supportive and loving. Every transgression has been forgiven and forgotten. Well, I grew up in a family of elephants, no one ever forgets a thing! You will be reminded every time you get together. The chances increase significantly if cocktails get involved, that holiday cheer isn't always so cheerful. 

  As I listened to them talking about the holiday vacations you could book, right now, my thoughts went elsewhere. I wish I could book a trip back to 1966. That was the last year all of my family were together for Christmas. After that year one or more of us were someplace else. There was no driving or flying in for the holiday. We still had that three-bedroom house. There was my parent's room, (the master bedroom) that sounds awful pretentious, my sister's room and we three brothers shared the other. There certainly weren't accommodations for wives, cousins, grandparents and that one quirky person that isn't really a relative at all but a part of the family. 

  We have all heard it said it's a big world. That has proven to be the absolute truth. I have been fortunate enough to have traveled a great deal. It wasn't a lie, join the Navy and see the world. It's also true I saw more oceans than I did land. It was pointed out to me that the earth is about 75% water, if I wanted to see the land I should have joined the Army. I also feel lucky that there are those places that I would like to return to, special places. It's true those places only exist in my memories today, you really can't go back in time, but it is nice to dream about.

  It has been said that everything changes over time. It also takes time to fully understand just what that means. People and places. Just moments in time that can never be recaptured. It will have been fifty-eight years this Christmas since my little family gathered around the tree. A lot of changes have taken place. Of the six of us, only two remain. The house has been torn down. There are no mansions on the hill, no gathering of the clan. But there are memories. There is also the present day, the moment and we shouldn't lose sight of that. What some will call being in the moment. Ironically, I have found the best memories are of the times I wasn't aware of the moment. Not much is special when you plan it! Memories are spontaneous. They just happen.