Twas The Night before Christmas 2009

It is the night before Christmas and alas, all the gifts are wrapped and ready for delivery. For once, I am not scrambling around, running around at the shopping mall, fighting shoppers and shopping lines.
Certainly, Christmas is a brief respite from the every day, the mundane, and the routine of work days. Everyone at work is normally a little bit more talkative, happier and giving, whether it be treats or some cheery conversation.
It is also an excuse to visit relatives, or friends, some of whom we have not seem for a long time.
For those people who live in the same town, Christmas visiting is not much of a problem, and may involve a car ride or a bus away.
I do remember a time when I had a Christmas, where I was alone and far away from home.
I lived in Kitimat, , a city in northern B.C. , with a population of 9,000. I knew no one there and went there for the primary purpose of work.
It was a blistery and snowy time and I arrived in the city a few days earlier to buy a used vehicle for $500 which would take me around town and assist me in my reporting job.
It was a brown station wagon and in good condition and was a real steal. After a few pleasantries with the friendly lady, I drove away with my very first car.
Later, I arrived at my apartment and closed the door on the white winter behind me. I realized that I was finally all alone and although I knew no one there, I felt confident that I was ready to face a bright, new world.
But the amazing thing is that the more I was away from familiarity, the more it made me more reflective of my previous Christmases where mornings meant scrambling to open presents and playing with new items, (as a child) and seeing new clothes.
But that was not the Christmas I had in Kitimat. It was a huge sacrifice to go to a place that was as unfamiliar as an unread book. I would later receive regular care packets from home, which contained letters and food. Letters were something that I did on a regular basis and received the same from relatives.
I, and thousands of people like myself, relied on the post office for communication from people far away. Long distance calls were outrageously expensive then, not unlike the unlimited cell plans one has today.
What is clear is that no matter where a person is in this world, even if you happen to be climbing a mountain in Kilimanjaro, everyone wants to be with someone around Christmas. Even if a person is far way from other people, a thought, letter, or email is the best way to get people in the right and peaceful frame of mind.
Merry Christmas everyone!