It
has been a few weeks since my last post. I know – you haven’t
been able to function without them, right? Well, part of the reason
for that is I will get an idea of something to write, and then my
filter will kick in. What’s that, you ask? Chuck Dauphin has a
filter? It might surprise you to know that. For that matter, it
surprises me too!
But,
as December prepares to glide down the home stretch, it’s a time
for reflection. To be honest, if you had asked me two or three months
ago how I would be at the holiday season, I would reply “Bah,
Humbug!” It was going to be my first Christmas single again – at
least technically. But, over the past few weeks, I have found myself
drawn into the festive time of year like I haven’t been in years. I
even bought Christmas cards tonight, which is something I didn’t
think I would be doing this year.
Some
of you might frown upon my reasons for that, but nothing brings out
the child in me like going to the store during the holidays and –
if nothing else, looking. This year, I haven’t been able to do as
much Christmas shopping as I used to, but that’s ok. Hopefully,
I’ll be a little more on my feet in the future. God has taken care
of me abundantly in 2012, and I trust in him for the future. I
mentioned God and Christmas Shopping in the same paragraph? If that
offends any, I apologize. But, so many of my memories of Christmas
stem from being out in the hustle and bustle of the season. The
lights, the colors, the wonder. It is truly the most wonderful time
of the year. And, personally, I think God is ok with that line of
thinking. After all, when you think about it, he blesses us 365 days
a year.
Today,
I had a chance to be out and about most of the day. I had a couple of
work-related appointments that were scheduled hours apart from each
other, so I had a chance to hit some stores. It’s amazing what that
did for me. More than anything, it took me back to a time when things
were a lot simpler. These are some of the places I went back to today
in my head. Some are still there, while some have faded into
obscurity like Stratton’s in Ashland City – and their jukebox!,
and Twinkies!aybe, you might have a memory of this as well.
MALLS
– Many of you hate these places. And, to be honest, I couldn’t
tell you the last time I have been to a mall. However, as a child, so
many of my memories go back to those nights spent at the mall.
Whether it be the beautiful decoration displays at Hickory Hollow or
Rivergate, or how big 100 Oaks Mall looked to a 3-4 year old, those
were some great memories. I remember a talking tree that used to
amaze me at Columbia’s Shady Brook Mall, and my first musical
memory was being three years old at Two Rivers Mall in Clarksville,
and hearing “You Light Up My Life” everywhere we went. As crazy
as it sounds, I still think of it as a semi-Christmas song to this
day.
BREECE’S
5&10 – For the past five years, I have lived in Centerville,
TN. But, the town has held a special place in my heart for many years
prior. In fact, one of the last “Five and Dimes” I remember was
located in the county seat of Hickman County. I can’t tell you that
I ever bought anything there, but those type stores are a part of
America’s history – one that I doubt we will see again.
ROSE’S
DEPARTMENT STORE – A good friend of mine brought this department
store chain up on Facebook last week. For those of you who don’t
remember it, it was a neat place. Before Wal-Mart became super, and
took over the retail world, you could find plenty of these in Middle
Tennessee. I don’t know how to describe them, other than to say
that it was a little more scattered than Wal-Mart. I don’t mean
that in a bad way, but it just didn’t feel as organized. You could
walk from one aisle to the other, and not really know what to expect.
Roses’ still exists, though mainly in Virginia, Kentucky, and West
Virginia. Some – like the one in Somerset, KY, still even has a
luncheonette – which is like a trip back in time.
TWITTY
CITY – For a few years, my family would go see the lights at Conway
Twitty’s home place. As large and as elaborate as Opryland Hotel
was / is, as a kid, I don’t think it had anything on the
Hendersonville showplace of one of Country’s most enduring legends.
It’s a place I truly miss.
TIME
/ TEMPERATURE LINES – OK, work with me on this one. I don’t know
if they do now or not, but every city used to have a phone number you
could call to get the current time or temp. In Dickson, it was
446-5111. I remember at Christmas time, the voice of Santa Claus
would greet you when you called wishing you a “Merry Christmas”
from whoever was sponsoring the phone line. In Centerville, it was
First National Bank. I couldn’t tell you how many times I called –
day or night – I actually thought Santa Claus was there, and I’m
not convinced he wasn’t.
MUSIC
– We all have our favorite Christmas albums or songs, and for me,
it’s not the holidays without Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton’s A
Christmas To Remember, any Elvis
Presley compilation, Lorrie Morgan’s Merry Christmas From
London, Patty Loveless’s Blue
Grass, White Snow, or Conway
Twitty’s Merry Twismas From Conway Twitty & His
Friends. One disc that could
join that list from this year is Sammy Kershaw’s great new disc A
Sammy Klaus Christmas. It is one
of the most fun holiday discs I have heard in some time.
CHRISTMAS
LIGHTS – Of course, the holiday season brings out the Clark
Griswold in a lot of people. I can think of many displays that have
struck a chord in my mind, but two stand out. There’s a house in
Burns on Highway 96 that always was lit up in basic blue – nothing
fancy, just simple blue lights that I always thought was very elegant
in its’ simplicity, and in Camden, TN – not too far from the
intersection of Highway 70 by-pass and Highway 641. The family there
took a lot of pride in how they decorated, and it showed...and if
you’ve ever traveled to Grand Rivers, KY – Patti’s 1880s
Settlement. Wow. That sums it up.
ERNEST
TUBB RECORD SHOP – This one might sound odd. But, especially back
in my days of doing radio full-time, people would give me gift
certificates to the legendary record store. For me, it’s the
ultimate candy store or toy store. It’s still one of the most fun
places on Earth for me to kill time it – or a gift certificate.
Hint, Hint, Santa!
FOOD
– And, finally, who doesn’t think of food over the holidays? When
I think of culinary statements of the season that I love, I think of
peanut butter fudge from my Mama Kimbro, my cousin Mattie’s Shoepeg
Corn, and many of the various friends and listeners that would have
me into their homes for dinner. I think a lot of a woman named Mary
Baker, who had me to her house on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and many
other occasions. Her family became my family, just like many of the
people I have gotten to know through radio. I’m not the biggest
potato fan in the world, but at her house, I ate my fill – and then
some. But, my greatest memory of food over the holidays remains the
“Nuts & Bolts” that my parents would make. Bascially, their
version of Chex Mix was what others would make, but a little heavy on
the Worcestershire Sauce than most. That’s not a complaint,
though...I’d gladly eat another batch of it again!
So,
that wraps up this week....Who knows, I might even blog again this
year! To be continued....Santa Claus, I’ve been good...at times!
