Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve was overcast and, when I went downtown 

to take care of last minute errands, the city seemed just as gray. 

Only a few people were around and, without the usual hustle, 

the buildings looked abandoned, which they were. 

The bustle of last minute shopping had taken itself to the outskirts 

of the city, where the traffic stood in line 

at the intersections and people stood in line at the stores.

I made my way through the traffic, avoided most of the congestion

in the stores, and came home to wrap my presents and 

to talk with friends and family before I watched "A Christmas Story"

on TV. As always, I laughed at scenes as though I'd never

seen the movie before, as I'm certain I'll laugh when 

I see the movie next year. The critics didn't like it

when it first came out, but the people have spoken.

It's a classic.