Cup O’ Joe: A cup of good cheer

Christmas is an occasion to spend time with family and friends, both new and old, in a cozy, comfortable setting. It’s a time for a renewed sense of spirituality for many. After all, the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ.
Coming home for the holidays is the pinnacle of the year for many who have moved away. And there really is no better place to come home to than Houlton (or any of the other surrounding communities in southern Aroostook County for that matter.)  No place else do nose hairs seem to freeze instantly the first time you walk out the door on a cold winter morning.
    For those who have moved away, much remains the same here in Houlton. Walking around downtown in the morning, the wonderful smells of fresh doughnuts cooking at Sadie’s Bakery still waft through the air. Movies at the Temple Theater bring back many fond memories from your youth. And the staples of the downtown — Yorks Bookstore and Town and Country — are still open for business, beckoning shoppers into their stores. About the only thing missing is the Western Auto and Rod & Gun storefronts to capture the attention of children. Well, that and the M&M van driving around town blaring holiday music.
For me, Christmas has always been about traditions. And since both of my parents came from large families, the get-togethers were often little more than organized chaos. We always spent Christmas Eve first visiting with my mother’s family in Hodgdon. The house may have been small, but somehow we always managed to fit everyone in. There was the usual watching the kids open presents in the living room and plenty of adult conversations in the kitchen with items of food that had no interest for children. Seriously, no kid ever gets that geeked up for veggie platters, shrimp rings or spinach and artichoke dip. Fortunately, there was always meatballs and homemade French fries or onion rings.
After eating our fill there, it was off to Bowdoin Street in Houlton to do more of the same with my father’s side of the family. My cousins there were all much older, and therefore had much cooler stuff for a young boy to check out. I remember checking out the record collection (yes records … you may have heard of them?). It was there, at the tender age of 6 or maybe 7, that I was introduced to the band KISS, through the cover of the Alive II album. (Thanks Mike, John and Joe for letting me drool over that record).
Later on, after I had moved away, Christmas Eve at my parents’ house was more subdued. There was no rushing around to two or three different homes. Instead, relatives — mostly just the aunts and uncles at this point as all of the kids were now grown-ups themselves — came over to my parents’ house for socializing. It was also a time to get “County pizza.” You see, there are many wonderful places to buy pizza in the world, but there is something special about those from your hometown. For me, Ken’s Store or High Street Grocery pies were the preferred choice and my father would always get a couple for Christmas Eve supper, and maybe for a snack before going to bed.
Christmas Day was different at our house too. Instead of leaving packages underneath the tree for my brother and I to tear in to, gifts from Santa were opened, out of the box and already set up as if they had been played with. My favorite childhood Christmas memory was from about 1979. I recall coming downstairs before the sun had risen to check out the loot Santa had left. Picture a collection of Star Wars action figures doing battle with a toy Godzilla, while at the base of the tree sits my very own KISS  album and you have a pretty good picture of an 8-year-old boy’s idea of Heaven back in the day.
Today, I get the same excitement watching my children. Starting with the gasps that come from their bedroom, where their stockings are stuffed to the brim under a miniature tree. To the thundering footsteps of tiny feet pounding their way down the stairs and into the living room, which soon give way to squeals of delight.
However, not everyone has a rosy, feel good story to remember or to live out. These are different and difficult times for many. Some do not have the Hallmark Channel television special home life to celebrate. Many are finding it harder and harder to simply make ends meet. Do they buy groceries to fill the fridge? Do they go to the doctor to get that nagging cough checked out? Or do they fill the oil tank to heat their home?
Now more than ever, groups such as the Salvation Army, need to be appreciated and recognized for the good work they do in the community. Without them, many a child would go without a toy on Christmas and families would be left without enough fuel to heat their homes.
So when you walk by that person ringing a bell for the Salvation Army, trying not make eye contact because you do not want the pressure of putting money it their red kettle, take a moment to reflect on those less fortunate than yourself.
From all of us at the Houlton Pioneer Times, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
 Joseph Cyr is a staff writer for the Houlton Pioneer Times. He can be reached at pioneertimes@nepublish.com or 532-2281.