15 12 2002
Okay, so I admit it. There are a few things that I miss about living in a white-bred city like Barrie… like going to the Shoppers Drug Mart and asking for Christmas present name tags, and the employees having even a faint clue about what those are.
Boy am I White. I’m still getting used to the idea that many of my friends have never celebrated Christmas… and that’s okay. I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s because Christmas for me was such a culmination of everything it is to be a child: Toys, candy, food, games, family and lots of cartoons on prime-time television.
This time of year is so integrated with how I remember my childhood that I’ve actually caught myself thinking, on occasion, that it’s cruel and unusual to do that to a child. Simone says that they treat it like a family holiday, but simply don’t observe the holiday. That’s what I would expect, but things like the anticipation of Santa Claus’ midnight visit and the house dressed in lights was such a part of my childhood that it brings me back every time this season comes around.
At the worst, I think it’s small-minded of me to have thoughts like this. However, it still pisses me off that I wasn’t able to get name tags for my Christmas presents. Looks like I’ll be living in GTA for a few years more to help me continue to open my mind.
…although I am confident that I am better than a Shoppers Drug Mart without Christmas present name tags.
