It was Christmas Eve, Year of Our Lord 1996, in Friendswood Texas. We had just finished services at the Methodist church in town and were cruising back towards home. We were all packed into my Grandad’s Suburban, Grandad driving, Nona Judi riding shotgun, Mom and Dad in the passenger seats, Matt in the middle car seat, and I sitting in the very back in the cargo area! No seat belt of course, which was a highlight of riding in the very back! It was a perfect December that year, with temperatures in the mid-40s. But my mind was not on the weather, it was on the huge package with my name on it that Grandad had brought into the house the day before!
My grandparents always came two days before Christmas, which meant that Matt and I had to sit with eager and overflowing anticipation at the sight of the wrapped gifts. That year, I’m sure, my grandfather would have been talking about an online auction forum that had taken off, called eBay. Unbeknownst to all of us, that online institution would provide many Christmas gifts in the coming years, but I digress. That year the largest box I had ever seen wrapped in Christmas paper was lugged into the house, and it had my name on it! The only problem was, that we only opened my grandparent’s gifts on Christmas Eve, after church service and dinner. Well, here we were in the suburban heading home, the opening of gifts was almost upon us!
“Why don’t we go look at some Christmas lights,” my Grandad inquired. “That sounds great,” said Nona Judi. “Here’s a nice neighborhood,” my mom exclaimed. Oh great! Now our journey to the present opening party was cut short to look at some Christmas lights! But what was a seven-year-old to do, stuck in the backseat of a moving vehicle? I was along for the ride, and we were going to look at the lights.
