ALONE ON A CROWDED STREET: A Christmas Story

Here it was, almost Christmas again, the celebration of “peace on Earth, good will toward men; the birth of Jesus, the Christ, Emmanuel (God with us)” but life sure wasn’t very peaceful this year and all that good will seemed to have been buried in a dumpster of bad attitude.  There wasn’t a sign of Jesus or real joy anywhere. 

“Where were the signs of Christmas,” Amy thought as she stood in the crowd gathered in the village park to watch the lighting of the tree and the arrival of Santa Claus?  Just a short time ago she would have been filled with joy and anticipation, elated at attending such an event and looking forward to a Christmas celebration with family and friends but not this year. A sadness clung to Amy like icicles on the eaves of the apartment house she lives in.  She had come to the village park hoping to find her Christmas spirit. 

She couldn’t help but notice the Manger Scene was missing from the park.  There were no shepherds with their sheep.  There were no heralding angels anywhere around.  The village chorus was singing but it wasn’t about Christmas; the songs we all about a marshmallow world, sleigh rides, jingle bells and frosty the snowman.  Even the tree didn’t seem to glow as brightly this year and the star was missing from the top.  Amy wondered for a moment what had happened to the star. 

She turned and walked down the crowded street feeling lost, lonely and alone surrounded by a crowd of milling faces.  No one spoke to her.  No one said Merry Christmas or even replied when she did.  “A sign of the times,” Amy thought to herself and sadness filled her heart.  “What had happened to the joy of Christmas?  Where was the Christmas spirit?  It sure didn’t look or feel like Christmas, not this year,” and Amy thought of the wonderful Christmases she had shared with her family and friends in the past.  Now she felt estranged and alone as she stood watching the crowd around her. 

Amy stood in the middle of the sidewalk for a few moments as people jostled and pushed past her, all of them busy and in a hurry, caught up in their own world of concerns.  They were the shoppers and the shoplifters all trying in some way to make Christmas happen one more time for better or worse.  Amy had noticed the two boys running out of the Music Mart with the boom box and a handful of CD’s, certain they had stolen them.  Two men were racing after them and shouting for them to stop.  They had almost knocked her down as they raced passed her.