Miscellaneous Writings

Christmas Shopping

An attempt of a contest entry for Songs, Movies and More, Oh My! contest (not submitted)


The choices were endless. She loved being in a book store. It was almost like being in a library except it was noisier and the books smelled new. The aroma of coffee wafted through the store which was unusually crowded due to it being The Night Before Christmas. Passing the children's section, on her way to the movie section, she noticed the best book ever, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas. She picked it up for her niece.

In the movie section the television played White Christmas. She stood watching for a few moments while Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye performed "Sister". That was one of her most favorite Christmas movies.

Perusing the movies hoping to purchase some as gifts, she saw Frosty The Snowman. That would be perfect. Her brother and his wife were new parents and didn't have a lot of kid movies. So Aunt Cindy would make sure to stock them up.

She noticed a commotion on the other side of the table and saw two men vying for the latest book in a kid's trilogy. One beat the other to the prize like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad in Jingle All the Way.

Christmas Eve seems to bring out the Scrooged folks. Maybe it's because they put off everything to the last minute and now were mad and crabby.

A life size Elf stood next to a table sporting a variety of Christmas books she perused when she overheard a conversation that reminded her of Lucy from A Charlie Brown Christmas. The little girl was complaining to her mom that her friend's dog licked her face. Cindy grinned.

An older man who looked like The Santa Claus from The Miracle on 34th Street also browsed through the movies. "Are you looking for something specific, sir," the clerk asked.

Trailing her father through the store was a little girl whose nose was as red as Rudolph's in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and she carried a tissue in her hand. "Aw, the poor thing must have a cold," she thought.

On yet another display table sat some odds and ends kind of gifts. She really liked The Nutcracker but thought that would be a stupid gift. "I don't know anyone who actually buys nuts not cracked anymore," she said to herself.

Two teen-aged boys were looking through the movies when a couple of college girls, she believed, passed by. One boy nudged the other boy and nodded in her direction. "Look, Babes in Toyland," he said, and she laughed quietly.

It was so fun to people watch, but it was especially fun to watch them on Christmas Eve. Everybody has A Christmas Story to tell. Since she would have been Home Alone tonight, she decided to head out into the rat race and have a look around.

She made her way to the music section and heard Jingle Bell Rock playing. It reminded her of the kids movie she had at home by the same name.

She felt like Frosty The Snowman while she walked to her car it was so cold. Maybe a theater would be showing The Polar Express, she thought. She hadn't seen a move in quite a long time, and it would be warmer than shopping.

After the movie, on her way home, she had a blowout and thought of A Christmas Carol. Once the tire was replaced and she was on her way she realized that It's a Wonderful Life.