David's Rant
- Age: 39
- Status: Happily Married
- Kids: 2
- Attitude: Conflicted
Monday, December 25, 2006
Back in 1983, I think, my mom took me to Hawaii for Christmas. I knew it was special, but being 17 and not knowing what things cost, I didn't realize how expensive that was.
Like all trips with my mother, it wasn't without drama, and the the drama started early on this trip. On the bus from the airport to the hotel, she left behind the folder with all of the vouchers for our trip, for all the activities that she pre-paid in the package. That meant that some thing were just not going to happen. Somethings, like the airline tickets to the big island, we were able to get replaced by AMEX, and still others we did anyway, and she had to pay twice for.
I remember being at an outdoor mall in Honolulu, and a school choir sang Christmas songs. Just didn't seem right, with it being in the 70s. It was a cold December there, as I remember, and it was getting down into the low 50s at night. The locals where wearing heavy coats - I laughed out loud at this when I got off the plane in my shorts. But, still, it was no white Christmas.
Then came Christmas day, on the big island. It rained all day long. Something like an inch an hour for 24 hours straight, as I remember - pretty insane. It cleared up the next day, and we spent two days driving around the big island, taking in the sights, going up to the volcano's rim, and pretty much trying to get off the beaten path when we could. I wish I knew where the photos were from that trip. I remember seeing them after we got back, but not since.
All in all, it was a good Christmas trip, even with the lost tickets, and the last one I remember spending with my mom as a kid. I will take my children to Hawaii for Christmas at some point, both to remember and to pass on that very special gift my mother gave me.
Merry Christmas, mom, wherever you are.
David 5:09 PM
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