By John ‘Butch’ Dale
Guest Columnist

All of you have memories of Christmas when you were youngsters … mostly happy memories, some funny and perhaps a few disappointing. Here are some of the memories that stick in my mind after all these years …

John ‘Butch’ Dale

1952 (age 4) … I received a Gene Autry capgun, holster, belt, and cowboy hat. I wore these every day for months!

1953 (age 5) … I desperately wanted a Captain Hook boat with toy pirates. I did receive it and jumped for joy, but after playing with it for an hour, I decided it was boring.

1954 (age 6) … In first grade, I had to memorize an entire page and recite it in front of a large crowd for the school Christmas program. I was nervous, but recited it without any problems.

1955 (age 7) … I didn’t have any money to buy my mother a present, so I found a piece of plywood, cut out the shape of a rooster with a hacksaw, colored it with crayons, and gave it to Mom as a decoration wall hanging … pretty sad looking, but she said it was lovely.

1956 (age 8) … I got up at 6 a.m. on Christmas to milk our four cows so Dad would have one less chore to do. I was able to herd the cows into the barn and lock them in the stanchions, but I had no luck squeezing the milk into the bucket … so I had to wake Dad up at 6:30 so he could finish the job!

1957 (age 9) … I received a pair of “white buck” shoes, just like the singer Pat Boone wore. Instead of shoe polish, I had to put some type of powder on them to keep them white.

1958 (age 10) … I received a Red Ryder B-B rifle! It didn’t take long for me to shoot out all of the glass bulbs on the barn lightning rods and a kitchen window!

1959 (age 11) … My brother and I wrote out an extensive Christmas wish list from the Sears catalog. We added it up, and the total came to around $500. On Christmas morning, I received a baseball, a velour shirt, a pair of socks, and a tube of Brylcreem hair tonic … not a good year for farm profits I assume.

1960 (age 12) … My best friend received a chemistry set. Over at his house, we experimented and made sulfur dioxide. His house smelled like rotten eggs for several days.

1961 (age 13) … I received a new baseball mitt and Milwaukee Braves baseball hat — my best presents ever!

1962 (age 14) … I remember being part of Methodist Youth Fellowship when we walked around town, stopping at homes, and singing carols.

I think many of you would agree that Christmas season has become very commercialized today. Many stores start displaying Christmas merchandise in October. Some children receive more presents on Christmas day than I received in the entire 17 years I spent at home before heading off to college.

My Dad told me that when he was a youngster, he and his siblings each received one present. One year he was thrilled to receive a large rubber ball. He threw it to his older brother, who tossed it back … but it landed on the stove … and melted. Dad enjoyed his new rubber ball for two minutes.

I guess the best present is having everyone healthy and happy, but some presents and memories are never forgotten. I still wear a Milwaukee Braves baseball hat today!