6. This Week's Stories and Requests for Help
We try to post stories and comments from our readers each week. Send your story
to newsletter@tias.com and we'll publish it in an upcoming newsletter. Please
share your story about what you collect and what got you started collecting.
We *love* to hear your stories! If you have a story you'd like to share, tell
us about it and if you have any photos, we'd love to see them! Send us an
email to newsletter@tias.com so we can share your story with the rest of our
readers.
--
Irene J shared a Christmas story in our last newsletter, and two more people
shared their own stories:
>From Enola N: "When I was a kid, I hated turkey C╟⌠ my wonderful
grandfather would always C╟ústuffC╟╪ the neck end of the turkey with hamburger
for me - my grandmother would always yell at him for spoiling me, but I always
appreciated the extra effort. I guess that is where I get the idea to
C╟úspoilC╟╪ my family by doing the extras that make them happy - I wear the
title C╟úenablerC╟╪ proudly in this regard! If it means I enable the ones I
love to have more time or more security or more whatever-it-is they need, then
I am happy - Love reading the stories folks submit - thank you"
--
and from Linda H:
"Hi, TIAS!
Love the stories in the newsletter and never thought to submit
one, but here goes:
Reading the Christmas story about the poor lady whose kids
opened every gift under the tree and proceeded to float wooden
salt and pepper grinders in the overflowing bathroom sink while
the exhausted parents slept, reminded me of one Christmas while
I was growing up: Nobody has ever heard this story and I'm
nearly 70 years old.... Our family was the sort where every
penny had to be accounted for, there just wasn't the income for
"discretionary spending." But the folks did their best. We got
a lot of clothing at Christmastime and looking back, the bulk
of our gifts were from aunts and uncles. I must've been about
ten years old and wanted a bicycle bigger than the 20" I'd been
riding since day one. "Them days" as my mother would say, kids
"lived" on their bicycles, riding off everywhere and running
errands for parents and childless neighbors (who would let me
keep the change from the .50 or $1.00 for getting them a few
items from the grocery store). I'd been sneaking off with my
sister's bigger bicycle whenever I could for some time and it
seemed everyone should have known the "desire of my heart" for
that Christmas. My folks kept discussing (when they knew I was
in earshot) that they were considering getting me new tires for
the old bike--and it got to the point where I knew either there
was a new bicycle for me or nothing, which was the more likely
prospect; somehow new tires didn't even seem necessary. On
Christmas morning early I happened to be awake and just
enjoying the quiet house. Got it in my mind to look in the
garage attached to the kitchen to see what was the real story
about my Christmas gift (fully expecting to be
disappointed)--and there it was! Just what I wanted, three
speeds, caliper brakes (WOW!)...well, no one was around and I
hightailed it back to bed before anybody had a clue. I knew
I'd better look amazed and happy when the parents handed out
the gifts...sure wouldn't want to ruin my surprise for them(!)
and I must've done all right. For years my mother would tell
the story about how excited and happy I was on that particular
Christmas morning and how well they'd kept the secret about
that bicycle. A side note: my elder sister still can NOT stand
to see a wrapped gift (Christmas, birthday, you-name-it) and
not know what's inside. She would (and still does) unwrap
every gift under the tree when nobody is looking and re-wrap
them!!! Hope these stories are amusing."
--
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--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Dada-2
* Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)
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