I stumbled out of bed on that Christmas morning, looked at the tree and screamed with joy!
I was raving and my mom and dad thought I was nuts. And as I opened the big shiny box, babbling with the joy of a 12-year-old kid. I’m sure my parents looked at each other and glowed, knowing they had chosen the right present.
With my new gift I could race around the Roman arena in a chariot pulled by four charging steeds, build a Roman temple, or be the general of a whole cohort of 40 plastic Roman soldiers.
I was delirious as I beheld my wonderful Ben-Hur set.
I was 12 years old and was smack dab in the middle of my looking for a hero stage, and I’d found my hero and whole fantasy world in the biggest historical movie of the time, Ben-Hur.
It was chock full of action, Romans in plumed helmets and Charlton Heston whipping his four white horses around the roaring arena. My head was swimming coming out of that movie.
And here I was, ready to build ancient Rome in my backyard, with chariot races all day long.
I remember that moment 60 years ago like it was this morning.
Later on, I felt just as happy when I got an electric football set. It was a small, metal football field that vibrated when you plugged it in, as tiny plastic football players carried a tiny fuzzy football across a board. It was a real thing, honest. Good fun for a kid.
So now, do you remember your big present? Your Ben-Hur set, the present that made you extra happy? Try to think of the best thing you ever got from under the tree on Christmas morning.
Was it that bright red bike wrapped with a ribbon? Was it your first surfboard sleek and shiny standing against the wall? A new bow? A two-foot long plastic toy Corvette?
Was it a new fishing rod that meant you could sit on the seawall and fish all day?
These are for boys and also for girls. But when girls were much younger you might have liked toy houses with tiny rooms and other things that made you smile.
What about the thrill of watching someone open a special present you got them?
Christmas is next week and time to think of all the happiness you can bring up. Time to think of the ohana, mom and dad, aunties and uncles and the keiki walking up the driveway carrying pies and potato macaroni salad for Christmas dinner.
You can appreciate your friends and family that flew from the mainland in these strange times, just to be with you.
Yes folks, this year’s been a rough one, the dreaded disease, panic in the supermarkets, wearing these darn masks, topped off with Mr. Trump’s wild ride.
Time to look at your bright Christmas tree and let this year drift away, and recall shining presents that made you happy, it’s time to remember the good times.
Mele Kalikimaka, Merry Christmas and aloha to all.
Gregory writes a bi-weekly column for West Hawaii Today and welcomes your comments at makewavess@yahoo.com