Reminiscing

December 27, 2006
By: Dick Hinson

If you haven’t noticed, the season of Christmas placed a lot of emphasis on fancy foods. That has been the case for a long time in this part of the South. When I was a kid, Santa Claus usually came through with some fruit, Brazil nuts, and a small bag of fireworks. These Holiday explosives were not regulated in power or composition. A single firecracker about the size of a shotgun shell would propel a syrup can 75 yards into the air. When the celebration really got underway, it sounded like a South American Revolution in progress. Now bear in mind that we’re talking about the depression days of the nineteen-thirties. You appreciated anything which came your way on Christmas morning.

Many gifts were homemade. Many years later, I heard a talk delivered by the late Pearce Harris of Atlanta. Until then, I would not have believed that a full-length sermon could be based on the consumption of a single orange. Dr. Harris came to a local church at this season of the year, and recalled his childhood as a member of a large family. His Father’s limited income permitted only one gift for each. In Harris’s case, it was the solitary orange! As he explained, just a bite or two of sweet citrus was a rare luxury. On this special day, Santa had remembered him. Such a treasure was not to be rushed, he took his listeners through Christmas morning by describing his careful removal of each strip of the peel….during the afternoon he began to separate each section, admiring the texture and aroma. As dark approached, he began to eat his gift. After finishing the prime sections, he ate each strip of peeling, and ended by chewing the seeds. By bedtime, no trace of the orange remained except the memory of a wonderful day…..

Early on, it was obvious where this presentation was going. However, in the hands of a skillful professional speaker, it didn’t matter. Pearce Harris was one of the best. There weren’t many dry eyes in the congregation. Later on, I couldn’t help wondering how my own little family might respond to "Santa" encountering a lean year. Would they properly appreciate five oranges!?! I never got around to putting them to the test. They probably would prefer a firecracker- Wishing each of you a safe and Happy New Year------