Ghosts of Christmas Past- 1954

When we last visited it was 1953 and my brother Jay was celebrating his second Christmas and his last as an only child. March 1954 rolled around and I arrived on the scene. I will spare you, for now, pictures of my first few months. We will move on directly to Christmas. This blog is like being a kid. You get to skip all the boring holidays like Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving to go to the one where people give you presents.
Going through old pictures is really an opportunity to learn about yourself and your family. To discover things you didn't know. Before happening across the pictures I share with you in this blog I would have said I hadn't spent a Christmas in Connecticut. It turns out that was where I spent my first Christmas. When you think about it, doesn't it make sense. Mom was 24 that Christmas. She had been in Illinois for two years. Home for the holidays. A chance to show off the new baby (me) and spend time with her parents and siblings. I remember taking the trip east as a teenager. It was a long two day ride in the car. Sitting in the back seat with your brothers trying not to do anything so stupid that Dad would be willing to stop the car and dispense some roadside discipline. The rides I remember were taken on the interstate highway system. In 1954 that didn't exist. No McDonald's to stop at for a quick meal. Howard Johnsons would have been the stop. It was back in the day of the small town motel with mom and pop style diners. When you go off the interstate now most of those places are gone. We don't spend much time seeing the sights along the way. Get on the interstate and make tracks for our destination. Don't see much between here and there. Got places to go and not things to see. I miss those old roads, those old diners, not so much the roach motels. Enough of that, on to Christmas 1954.

It doesn't look much like Christmas or Connecticut from this picture but it is in fact both. I include this one just to show that apparently my training to work in juvenile detention and prison was started when I was a toddler. Being behind bars didn't seem to bother me then.

It's looking more like Christmas in this picture. Child safety has made big strides since the 1950's. Finally, it looks like I can rock that bare midriff droopy diaper thing. I recognize that facial expression. Clearly I was taking a dump.

The picture above is me, my maternal grandmother Harriet, my maternal grandfather John and my older brother Jay. My presence does not seem to be ruining his Christmas. He is holding toys and I have a rattle. WTF?

This picture from left to right is my Uncle John, Mom, Jay, Grandpa John, me, Grandma Harriet, Uncle George and Aunt Harriet (everyone calls her Dolly). The good news is I was dressed for the picture and like the bib overall look.

This picture is my Grandpa John, Uncle John and Grandma Harriet. There were lots of Johns in the family. Both grandfathers, my Dad, my bother, a cousin and later on our youngest son. When someone said "John" several heads would turn.

I have apparently worn out my welcome and been returned to my holding cell.

There you have my first Christmas. A Christmas season of travel and family. Isn't that what Christmas is all about? Getting to spend some time with your loved ones? Too many in those pictures are no longer with us. It would be good to once again share a holiday with them. So, dear reader, enjoy your loved ones while you can. Put aside hard feelings and hurts of the past. Choose to remember all that is good in life.