Past Ghosts

Past Ghosts 

My friend Jim has been writing a lot lately, so it kinda got me thinking about things too. So, here I am putting down some thoughts on electronic paper.

First let me say that this isn’t going to be anything political, I care too little about politics anyway, none of them can be trusted. Furthermore, it isn’t going to be anything special at all. Just some things that float through my mind, even more so this time of year.

A couple of weekends ago, I took Drew to MGM Studios for the day. Just the baby and I, while Tina was working. We had a good time together even though there’s little for her to enjoy at that particular park, aside from Bear in the Big Blue House. After the day was drawing to a close, we left the park and went to get some dinner before picking up Mommy.

We settled on Steak and Shake on 535 and had a nice meal. At some point in the meal, I heard the sound of the china plates they use at Steak and Shake clinking together and it sparked a memory for me that’s been haunting me since. It’s a nice enough memory, but one that makes you miss your childhood, regardless of how bad things may have been.

There used to be an old Woolworth store in the old Colonial Plaza Mall on Colonial Drive. Half outside and half inside of that store was a restaurant or diner, to be more exact, that my mom and I used to eat at, just the two of us. The food was good and the atmosphere was nice too, kinda like an old movie or something. The waitress with the missing teeth and the southern drawl, smoking a cigarette while she took your order because you could still do those things back then. The sounds of the plates clinking together in the kitchen someplace. The cook hollering out orders. We ate there every so often, but the times I remember the most were from October to December.

It was a time my mom and I got to sit down and be ourselves. It was a time to shop for Christmas and see Santa. It was colder out and the Christmas tunes were playing throughout the mall. It’s a good memory.

I realized at some point, that I was sharing a moment like this with Drew.
She may be too little to remember it now, but these are the things I want to do with my kids. I decided that this year I’m going to try and spend moments like this with each of the kids, one on one, during the holiday season. The following year I’ll try and continue that at least once a month with each of them. My wife and I will spend more time together too.

My life has been too “busy”. The past few years, I’ve barely been able to watch my favorite Christmas movies, with the family. I feel like I’ve been away from them too long. I took for granted, the time my mom and I spent together doing these things. I just want to slow things down a bit and enjoy my life. Savor these memories. I want the kids to have something fond to look back on.

I’m done.