Today is Christmas Eve. Because of “the needs of the Department of State”, I’m bringing in the final holiday of 2021 all by my lonesome…here in Bogotá. My family has been back in the States for 1 ½ weeks but unexpected work will force me to celebrate my first Christmas without them. The canceled trip home means I will not get to see my mother, my father, my sisters, or my nieces. It means that I don’t get a chance to play Boyz II Men & Brian McKnight’s “Let It Snow” in The Red Wolf during my Christmas Day drive. Even the Christmas tradition that we started last year is a no-go this year. All is not totally lost though. As I sit here in this palatial apartment in La Atenas Suramericana, I do get a chance to view one of the all-time Christmas staples, courtesy of my awesome cable television plan with Claro. That brings me to this week’s moment in the Flashback Friday series: the A Christmas Story film.
How I first came across this moment? I first saw A Christmas Story in 1992. I was visiting with my paternal grandmother and she was watching it. Of course, I always sat with her so I watched too.
What it meant to me then? At the time, I was 8 years old. Overall, the film didn’t mean too much to me. It was just something else that was on TV during the Christmas holidays. But there were certain parts in the film that captivated me…like when Ralphie beat up Farkus or when he gets to see Santa at the Higbee’s. I was especially drawn in by the dynamics and decorum of dares.
What it means to me now? These days, I watch the film at least once during the 24-hour marathon on TBS or TNT…a personal tradition since 2011. Of all Christmas films ever made, it is my #1. In a way, it is a completely relatable film as it reminds me of some of the elements of my youth when I was Ralphie’s age such as beating up a bully and adversary or being disappointed with a piece of mail among others. I’ll watch it tonight and maybe once tomorrow. At some point, I should really get it on Blu-ray or at least add it to my Google Play library.
