BY DAN MILLER
(originally posted December 13, 2004)
Even though it's probably overexposed nowadays, I believe "A Christmas Story" has replaced "It's A Wonderful Life" as the quintessential Christmas movie.
Several years ago, I absentmindedly introduced my (now) wife to the late Marvin Runyon, saying, "Karen, this is Damon Runyon.... Damon this is Karen".
Only later did I realize my mistake, but Marvin never corrected me or mentioned it. In fact, neither of us ever mentioned it again.
Does anybody really pay attention anymore to car alarms going off in parking lots, or have they just become part of our daily background noise? And does anyone actually send for police when they see those cardboard "send for police" dashboard heat shields put in the front windshields of cars?
Here we are, almost 8 years after Opryland closed, and there are still big green signs on Interstate highways all around Nashville, pointing the way to "Opryland". Hasn't someone told the highway sign-makers that Opryland no longer exists?
When I was in college, I worked part time as a Fuller Brush Man. Actually, I was the delivery man for a real Fuller Brush man, but occasionally took orders as well.
I don't even know if Fuller Brush still does door to door sales the way they used to.
If you've never seen the movie "GRAND CANYON", rent it tonight and thank me later (as Larry King might say). But beware, the language is quite strong.... not for kids!!
Suzie Bogguss has the most crystal clear voice in all of country music. Why she isn't constantly at the top of the record charts is baffling to me.
I keep wondering, at what point in the aging process do people no longer avoid revealing their age, and find great satisfaction in telling how old they are? It seems to me most really old people enjoy telling exactly how old they are.
Have you noticed how people, when their car breaks down on the side of the highway, will open the hood and check the oil level? The oil level is rarely the problem, but it's the only thing most of us non-mechanics know how to do.
I found an old audio tape that a friend and I made when we were 14 or 15 years old, and the big question we were pondering on the tape was whether Elvis Presley or Jerry Lee Lewis would ultimately be the bigger star.
And, why in the world doesn't the city of Nashville decorate the Shelby Street Bridge in colorful holiday lights during the holidays? It's already beautiful, but what an attraction that would be!
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