Curiocity: Christmas In The Citie
Working in the media isn't always conducive to having a social life or being active in a family. As exciting as it can be to be a part of this business, it unfortunately means giving up most holidays and weekends.
And for a long time, that meant not even a chance for celebration. When working in media was combined with living hundreds of miles away, it could often mean trading turkey dinner for leftovers and home-cooked meals for Lean Cuisines.
Last year in particular was a rather sad and depressing Christmas for my boyfriend, Tom, and I. Having forgotten that most grocery stores close early before Christmas, we missed our chance for stocking up for the holidays and at least the potential for a nice Christmas feast.
We both were scheduled to work on Christmas -- which meant covering the Green Bay Packers for Tom and writing a story about a homeless shelter serving Christmas dinner for me. So when we were done at work, we were left to rummage our fridge for leftovers for our own holiday dinner, which amounted to two-day old spaghetti. Merry Christmas to us!
We made the most of it and still tried to make our leftovers as "Christmas-y" as possible. Still, we vowed that we would never have such a sad Christmas again.
This year, things seemed right on track for a happier holiday. I was unfortunately scheduled to work again, but had Christmas Eve off at least so there was some time to celebrate.
It had been years since I was able to be home for Christmas, let alone have a chance to see family and really enjoy it. And I half-wondered what it would be like. I mean, I knew who was coming, I knew what was for dinner and I knew the usual rituals around the Boyd house, but I couldn't help but be curious to see if it was how I remembered it growing up.
But then it snowed. A lot. And then, it snowed even more.
Needless to say, plans changed. Tom got stuck in Green Bay after making an attempt to drive and realizing quickly it was more of an ice skating rink than a highway. He had no choice but to turn back.
With a much shorter drive, I braved the falling snow and headed out to my parents' home in Lino Lakes. I couldn't help but be disappointed, especially after seeing a present for Tom neatly wrapped under the tree from my parents. But still, it was Christmas and dang it, I was going to celebrate it this year.
However, much to my surprise, Christmas did feel different. Though it was great to see family -- some that I hadn't seen in years -- I couldn't help but feel like something rather, someone, was missing.
I didn't want to be ungrateful and I kept trying to remind myself that so many people aren't as fortunate and would love a Christmas with a loving family, but I had this overwhelming urge to be back to the year before, splitting leftover spaghetti and laughing about how pathetic the situation was.
Perhaps that was because I'm at the age where all of my cousins are married or about to be and without a significant other at Christmas, I felt like I should be sitting at the kid's table again. Or perhaps it was because Tom and I promised each other this Christmas would be different, this Christmas would be better.
Whatever it was, I couldn't shake it. As I headed into work the next morning, I found myself getting bitter towards the weather -- the Christmas destroyer, if you will. It was then that I walked by a man, sitting on a suitcase and holding a sign asking for help, asking for anything.
In each hand, he held the hands of two little girls. Both bundled up as much as possible but clearly still cold. I felt ashamed. How could I get so down about not having the Christmas I was hoping for when others don't get a Christmas at all?
That day, as I wrote up news stories about flights being canceled and snow stopping other Christmas plans, I knew there were probably other people out there like me, feeling bitter because what they envisioned for Christmas wasn't going to happen. And it all seemed so silly.
After work, my parents came over to eat the turkey dinner I was planning to prepare for me and Tom. We watched "Miracle on 34th Street" and it was perfect. It may not have been the plans I had in mind, but I was so thankful for what it was, and what I had.
Before diving too far into a cheesy Christmas message, here's hoping everyone -- no matter what the weather did to your plans, or how your holiday unfolded -- celebrated this final year of the decade with love and laughter. And just remember, a new year is right around the corner.
Curiocity is more than a state of mind. It's a fresh look at something familiar. Web producer Sara Boyd rediscovers the city she grew up in and learns new details about what's happening in the place she calls home.
