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Fondest Christmas Memories
Tuesday, December 24, 2002
When you grow up with two younger brothers, it's very difficult to be the first one out of bed to enjoy a few quite moments on Christmas morning. I managed to beat Brian and Dave out of bed many times to enjoy a peek out of the frost cover windows and check out the snowflakes lazily drifting to ground. Once in a while I might see a snowmobile track or even some footprints but I was always looking for reindeer prints.Christmas was always much more magical when we were young, I guess because there was less hustle and bustle and all you had to worry about as a kid was what Santa was bringing. I can remember looking through the Christmas Wishbook using the old Ñthrow the spaghetti against the wall trickÑ. I figured that if I marked a whole bunch of things then Santa would be able to whittle it down and bring me some really cool stuff. There are some cool gifts that I picked up as a kid and I'm tellin ya that we had some great fun on Christmas morning.
The one Christmas that really stands out for me was when I was about eight or nine years-old. The only thing I wanted was a Philadelphia Flyers jacket. It was bright, bright orange with some black and white stripes on the collar and the cuffs. It had a hood and the Flyers crest on the left side of the chest---It was cool.
I remember that morning like it was yesterday. I woke up early and we started right into the gifts. It was about 7:30am and Brian and Dave were having fun one of them got a Tyco Race track with the slot cars that do the figure eight. Dave picked up one of those Hot Wheels race tracks with the loop-to-loop and soem really neat cars.
I opened up the usual underwear and socks and then I came to a large box. It was about three feet long and one and a half feet high --- the moment of truth was here. I was so excited, I was ready to become a fashion statement with my bright orange coat. I peeled off the paper and then it hit me---the picture on the box was a telescope. That Santa --- What a joker? He actually put my beautiful coat into another box to fool me. He fooled me alright. There was a telescope in that box.
I was stunned. I was crushed. I couldn't belive it I didn't get my Flyers coat. It was heartbreaking, I started to cry and started to go through the year's event's to see what I had done that was so bad that I didn't get my jacket. I had the usual year where I broke a couple of windows and got chased out of a couple of yards but I didn't do anything serious. I did get church cancelled but that was an accident. Santa knew that Tom Curran and I didn't really mean for that bug spray to get into the pipe organ. We were just kidding around pretending to spray each other. We didn't know they would think it was a gas leak.
I was a pretty good kid that year but my mother told me that I had one more gift to open. I looked and it was smalle than a shoebox. There was no way my coat would be in that box.
I opened it anyway and low and behold there it was. My coat was rolled into a nice little ball. I had just run the full gammet of emotions from anticipation to heartbreak to overjoyous elation. I put the coat on and proceeded to run down the street to show Mark Kelley. It had never even crossed my mind that Mark or his whole family would still be in bed at 7:50 am but I knocked on the door anyway to show him the coat.
I was ecstatic. I was so proud of my new coat. It was awsome. My mother always said that was the best gift Santa had ever brought. When I was in an arena or in a crowd of people she could see me at 500 yards. I stuck out like a sore thumb because I was the only kid with a bright orange jacket.
Those were the days.
It's funny how things change. I really could care less if I get any gifts at Christmas. The real loss would be if I didn't get to spend Christmas with my family. The whole family always meets at my mother's place on Christmas day and then we open gifts. It's great to see the kids open their presents---the looks on their faces are priceless.
We usually watch any sports that are on television from football to basketball and we always try to catch any World Junior hockey action. After dinner and gifts, we make the move from Lamila Street out to my brother's house where a solid round of board games and story telling fills up the night. Sometimes we don't get out of there until very late.
Boxing Day is usually a trip to the Florence Community Centre where we spend the day with all of my father's family. I thought that when he passed away we would stop going to Florence but now it seems more important than ever to keep in touch with our aunts and uncles.
I know everyone has their own Christmas traditions and some people's change from year to year but it always revolves around love and giving. From the whole Patterson family to yours - Please have a safe and happy holiday season. Merry Christmas!
Gary Patterson was born and raised in Chatham-Kent. He grew up in Thamesville and now lives in Chatham. Patterson was Sports Director at Beaver Communications an Blackburn Radio for over 15 years. Gary is also the track announcer at Dresden Raceway as well as some appearances at Windsor Raceway. He has played all sports inclduing being a mermber of three OBA Championship baseball teams in Thamesville and has also played hockey and football. Gary still plays golf, slo-pitch and ball hockey and well as the odd game of pick up hockey. Patterson is a passionate Miami Dolphin and Michigan Wolverine football fan. Here are few other details about Gary Patterson: Favourite food: steak, chicken wings, chili or Kenny Tharp\'s famous meatloaf; Favourite non alcoholic drink : Diet Coke; Favourite drink: Scotch, Coor\'s Light; Favourite Sports team : Miami Dolphins/Michigan Wolverines/New York Yankees; Favourite Bar : Bru\'s Room Margate Florida/Pompano Beach Florida; Favourite Bartender : Tanya (Margate), Sarah (Pompano); Favourie Vacataion spot : Pompano Beach Florida; Marital Staus : married with chilren Hockey player : Curtis Jospeh/Todd Bertuzzi; Favourite Football player : Retired Dan Marino, Anthony Thomas; Favourite Basketball player : Steve Nash Favourite Baseball player : Derek Jeter; Favourite colour : Blue; Favourite TV Show : CSI Favourite movie : The Sting, Blue Brothers and Field of Dreams; Favourite song Life Been Good To Me ( Joe Walsh); Favourite Band : Tom Petty/Eagles; Favourite type of Dog: Springer Spaniel; Favourite type of Cat : NONE
