Just a memory

  Just sharing a Christmas memory this morning, no deep thoughtful essay on the state of mankind or world politics. No philosophical thoughts concerning the existence of man. No, this morning I was just remembering a Christmas tradition from my childhood. When you begin to write about this stuff, begin to leave a record, you realize that it wasn't all that many years. My oldest brother was six years senior to myself. He joined the Navy when he was 17, I was eleven at the time. At eleven I was already nearing that time when Christmas begins to lose the magic. It happens to all of us as reality takes its' place. Soon after that nostalgia replaces magic. 

  But I remember the time when we were all together for Christmas, it does seem like a very long time ago now. It was only about sixty years ago though, go figure. At eleven I was well aware that there was no Santa Claus bringing gifts but was still playing the "Santa" card, appealing to my parents sentimentality. Everyone knew but played along. I do have vague memories of a time when I just wasn't sure about all of that, it was still a possibility in my mind. Well, it couldn't hurt to ask and to play along. I did get gifts under the tree that said, from Santa. I never questioned why Santa had the same wrapping paper as Mom. Maybe he wrapped the gifts after he got here, he was lively and quick after all. That time, the last time we were all altogether would have been Christmas 1964. No one would have expected that to be the case. 

  Now this tradition I was remembering involved my father and his train set. He had a Lionel train that was given to him by his Aunt Minnie (Mildred), the lady my sister was named for. I can't say with certainty what year that train set would have been but Dad was born in 1924 so I'll guess and say sometime in the later part of the 1930's. I just remember the engine was a gray steam locomotive, that was streamlined and more modern looking. It did have a coal car and several box cars. On one of the box cars was an ad for Baby Ruth candy bars. 

 I remember that distinctly because my mothers name is Ruth. The set also included two "switches" and a train station that made a whistling sound when the train approached. This set only appeared at Christmas and was set up under the tree. The kids weren't allowed to play with that. That was Dad's train and he set it up and ran it. That happened every year and the routine was the same. After the tree was set up, lights on and decorated the train came next. Always amusing to watch dad crawling around on the floor putting that rack together. Today if I have to crawl on the floor for any reason it isn't nearly as amusing. And every year Dad would send one of us kids to get some 8 penny nails and his cutting pliers. He needed those to join the track. And that is what I was thinking about this morning. 

                                                                                     

It was something like this. My sisters son has that set today.

My father gifted it to him.