Thursday, December 09, 2004
SIXTEEN DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS....
It’s funny how a newspaper can play a significant role in one’s memories. Growing up in Omaha, every afternoon about the same time, we would hear a muffled “thunk” on our porch. It was the Omaha World Herald’s evening edition. Our house was on a terrace of 14-steps, top to bottom….then the porch had another few steps. The paper boy started at the end of the block and walked from house to house so he didn’t have to climb steps at each address.
The paper arrived about an hour after I got home from school. Every November, after the Thanksgiving holiday was over, the paper always published a continued Christmas Story. I couldn’t wait for the paper to come each day. I would read excitedly as the story unfolded and then wait impatiently for the next edition so I could see what happened. As a girl, I took my reading very seriously. I became the heroine with each book, poem or article. I often memorized favorite parts of a story to recite mentally as I jumped rope, played hop-scotch or rode my bike.
In thinking about Christmas, I remember how captivated we were with the simplest of pleasures. Going down town on the street-car to see Santa Clause at the Brandies Store was a tradition. It was a treat because we rarely shopped there. It had the reputation of being the most expensive store in Omaha and since our family shopped at Sears or Penny’s I thought it was only for “rich” people.
However, at Christmas, we stood on the sidewalk and looked at all the beautiful things in the “show windows”…..things I could only dream of were displayed with great care. Once inside, the smell was inviting. The perfume and cosmetic counters were filled with aromas that carried my little nose to new heights…..I loved the cosmetic ladies who were so beautiful. Most shoppers pass them by hurriedly so they aren’t asked to try the scents………but I still love to linger and smell their wares….and the bottles!!! Do you realize how beautifully the containers correspond with the contents they hold? It is truly an art and I hope I never get too jaded to appreciate those simple pleasures.
To all the paper boys who earned their first money throwing world news….or a Christmas story on a porch….and to all the ladies who try to make our world more beautiful with perfumes…..I give you thanks. You have made my life interesting and beautiful……..and unforgettable.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
The paper arrived about an hour after I got home from school. Every November, after the Thanksgiving holiday was over, the paper always published a continued Christmas Story. I couldn’t wait for the paper to come each day. I would read excitedly as the story unfolded and then wait impatiently for the next edition so I could see what happened. As a girl, I took my reading very seriously. I became the heroine with each book, poem or article. I often memorized favorite parts of a story to recite mentally as I jumped rope, played hop-scotch or rode my bike.
In thinking about Christmas, I remember how captivated we were with the simplest of pleasures. Going down town on the street-car to see Santa Clause at the Brandies Store was a tradition. It was a treat because we rarely shopped there. It had the reputation of being the most expensive store in Omaha and since our family shopped at Sears or Penny’s I thought it was only for “rich” people.
However, at Christmas, we stood on the sidewalk and looked at all the beautiful things in the “show windows”…..things I could only dream of were displayed with great care. Once inside, the smell was inviting. The perfume and cosmetic counters were filled with aromas that carried my little nose to new heights…..I loved the cosmetic ladies who were so beautiful. Most shoppers pass them by hurriedly so they aren’t asked to try the scents………but I still love to linger and smell their wares….and the bottles!!! Do you realize how beautifully the containers correspond with the contents they hold? It is truly an art and I hope I never get too jaded to appreciate those simple pleasures.
To all the paper boys who earned their first money throwing world news….or a Christmas story on a porch….and to all the ladies who try to make our world more beautiful with perfumes…..I give you thanks. You have made my life interesting and beautiful……..and unforgettable.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
