POTPOURRI
“My Christmas Carol”
“Bah, Humbug!!” … to having to social distance; wear masks; and ‘no touchy’… and, no more than 10 persons in the party room. How is one to capture the Spirit of Yuletide and Joy this 202l Holiday Season under these Hawaii COVID-19 protocol mandates??
“Bah, Humbug!!… Bah, Humbug!!… Bah, Humbug!!”
A Christmas Past
- Stanley V. Botelho (Lexus auto sales)
“For me there always will be the memory of Christmas in the early 1950s when I was just 9-years old… I remember still, so vividly, when I found my filled-stockings hung near our most beautiful, green Christmas tree in the living room—my gift from SANTA (a Red Ryder BB gun)!! I was overcome with emotion and surprise…”.
“And, there, under the tree with all the other Christmas presents – wrapped with a big, red bow, was another surprise gift – specially for me, from My MOM (a Mountie uniform)!! You see, those years, My Mom worked as an ‘usherette’ at the old Hawaii Theatre in downtown Honolulu. And, often she would take me to work with her, and I would just sit there high up in the balcony-seats rows and watch whatever movie was showing… Well, I tell you, there was nothing like dreaming of being a Cowboy or an Officer in the Royal Canadien Mounted Police!!!”
“Yes, Sir!! – ‘Move along, you doggies’… (and), ‘On, King; on you Huskies’…!!!”
A Christmas Future
- Aaron K. Pratt (civil service administrator)
“Hooray, for me!! I will retire from State Government in January next year. Finally, I can just relax, go fishing, and just do whatever I wish. In full-retirement!!… But, you know, it’s just the wife and me; the kids have their own lives and their own children to care for. Only one son lives here in Hawaii; the other two kids live on the ‘Mainland’ – Oregon, and Washington State.”
“I’m sure in the future celebrating the Holidays, especially Christmas, will become emotionally stressful with no family here to party with, like we did in the past. And, I’m aging-in-place now, so what will my life-style be when I get much older?? Heck, I remember when I was a youngster (in the 1950s), and visiting my ‘Tutu-Kane’ (Hawaiian for grandfather) at Lunalilo Home for Aged Hawaiians. We celebrated Christmas Day there with him. I always felt he was extremely happy to be with Mom, Dad, my brother, sister, and me.”
“Now, I reminisce and wonder— ‘Where will I be Christmas Day in the Future’??”
A Christmas Album… is what we all have now and share during this‘Special Season of Joy’—with or without masks; six-feet apart or huddled in laughter; fist-bumping or hugging—but always celebrating with loved-ones, friends, and colleagues. Christmas is the reason to be cheerful, merry, thankful, and caring…
And so, as Tiny Tim said—
“A Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, every one!”
(Author: Charles Dickens)
“MELE KALIKIMAKA”
(Family: Nani & Gene Tiwanak)
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STORY SUBMITTED BY:
E. Tiwanak
IMAGES PROVIDED BY:
Puanani/Internet
Heroes 5-0 