Christmastime for an old guy like me is a time to remember. Like Scrooge, old guys like me seem to dwell on “Christmas Past.” But why not? The memories of the past are the best, aren’t they? Especially when our selective memory alters our memories, so they seem even more special than they were. And I suppose that’s a good thing. Some of that stuff we just don’t want to remember anyway.

I like to remember the good Christmas’s the best. Those were the years when a simple toy car or gadget was exactly what you needed. There were no TVs then where I lived. Only movies we saw were those shown up at the schoolhouse on Friday nights. And those were not there every Friday like my brother and I thought they should. Without the blitz of TV commercials, the kids in Centrahoma and in the world weren’t exposed to the ritzy glitz of Christmas as we know it today.

But what we did have was pretty good. The night of the “Tree” was a big event. The tree was put up in the church. In our case it was a good-sized cedar cut down at the Downard Ranch between Centrahoma and Coalgate. The tree in our case was fairly well decorated, electric lights too. Small grocery bags were under the tree. Lots of them. Christmas candy (the old-fashioned kind) along with an apple and an orange were the main contents of the Christmas sacks. But that was enough for us kids in Centrahoma and it may have been about all some got.

The Bullard’s had a little cedar tree in their house too and a set of lights that didn’t work. My brother Gerald spent a lot of time making repairs and fi nally got them working. They were old and it’s a wonder he didn’t burn the house down. We opened our gifts on Christmas Eve night and usually had Christmas Dinner down at “Goat Ridge” with my Grandma and Grandpa Bullard.

Another good thing about being at Goat Ridge was that I had a lot of cousins living down there—my age—and Christmas Day was usually a day of hard play and fun with Deleta, Ruby and Ray. More memories of people I loved and who are no longer here with us.

Enjoy Christmas this year. Those dear ones we love won’t be here forever. So, Merry Christmas to all. And be sure and go to church Sunday.

Wayne Bullard, DPh

waynebullard@sbcglobal.net