"All happy families resemble one another;every unhappy family is unhappy in its
own way..." - Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
By DUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
The Paz Files
AUSTIN, Texas - Nobody likes to go shopping with me. They never like the goodies I want to buy. They tell me a gift is valued in its own right, and not by the price of the item. I don't give a damn; I buy my family and my two girls and the important people in my life holiday presents that are more than simply a goofy sweater or a stuffed toy. That's who I am at Christmastime.
As for treating myself, well, I like the good things in my life. Of course. A bottle of fine wine or Scotch is a worthy expense, as is a unique jacket or pair of boots. The roof's the limit there. But I also get a kick out of buying that one thingee that makes me happy, even if it's a Charlie Brown Christmas tree that cost all of $14. (see photo above)
There it was at the store, looking ready for some needy space in the house. Something told me it would draw the attention of the Gods, all of them, each smiling at seeing it, thinking there's a man with an eye for the plain, but noble. What does that poem by Joyce say, "A tree is just a tree, but only God can make a tree." Mother Nature would be especially proud, not because I was taking a little creation, but because the entire Christmas tree was made of metal and artificial branches and a single bright-red, decorative ball that also did not call for killing something that was in the process of living. The base is wood, two small slats, enough to keep it upright.
It also has a music box that offers the Charlie Brown holiday theme, a toy piano tune that also makes one smile, if only because of the simplicity of the musical notes. But we know that as Charlie Brown's Christmas, yet another example of humanity-on-a-rope, a slice not quite born from reality but adorned with just enough human flavor to make it believable. Fourteen dollars. I love it.
Across the Christian world today, it'll be yet more shopping, and yet more spending, a lot of it more than necessary, a lot of it on extravagant gifts that perhaps are a bit over the line. But, who knows where that line is for every shopper out there. A pauper will buy his loaf of bread and consider himself lucky, perhaps even thankful for being alive. A socialite will splurge on her husband's expensive watch and get the gardener a Brazilian leather jacket he'll have trouble wearing to the hardware store. It's all relative.
You decide on your gifts, and that's the way it should be.
I'll do my part, chasing gifts that I hope will be treasured, but also allowing myself a thing or two that, I'm sure, will bring a few familial frowns. Who knows why? It may have something to do with the fact that I am the guy farthest to the left of Jesus Christ in that Last Supper painting...
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13 comments:
Too good. Thankz.
Cadillac, Bonner was evicted from Combes property, and now has a child fatherless, is he related to Juan Montoya.
I hear Chylantra is now working at el Cizne Bar, that's where all the real low lifes hang out to drink.
Lot of Mojaditos drink cheap Bush beer at el Cizne.
No, the word at the coffee shop this morning was that Cilantra has flown the coupe. She's back in El salvador!
Nice tree. I'd buy one too. what the heck. not everybody is rich.
Mr. Paz-Martinez: When I was little, we lived on my father's disability income so there was very little money. I remember a Christmas that my parents had very little money to buy my sister and me clothes, much less, toys. We both wanted to see a Christmas Tree. My mom went around the "barrio" and came back with a dry branch that had to leaves but many "hands" on the branches. She covered it with toilet paper and cotton, decorated it with our old Christmas lights and ornaments and gave us our Christmas tree. That was forty two years ago, and now that I am an "old lady" of 50, my memory of that Christmas is the most beautiful Christmas that stands out in my mind. I had my parents, my sister and new shoes, we had tamales and ponche. What else could I want or need?
^Woman from Brownsville
Juan Montoya was released from jail on Friday night after JP candidate Yolanda Begum started to raise money for his back child support. It is sad that the Brownsville blogs are blocking the story. People have the right to know she is funding the propaganda machine which is BISD's corruption.
One of my funniest Christmas memories was the year my mother decided to have a craftsy tree and so she brought in a tumbleweed, sprayed it with silver paint and decorated it with various other leaves, acorns, etc all sprayed silver. It actually looked very nice and we were all kind of proud of it until one day a visitor (who also happened to be a nun) pointed out to us that it was a marijuana bush. It disappeared pretty fast after that and thankfully not into the wood burning stove or we would probably still be stumbling around thanks to the combination of paint and MJ fumes.
Man, when I was growing up Christmas trees were for rich people. I know we couldn't afford one, I remember one christmas, our neighbor was going out of town, she was a teacher, and she gave our family a Christmas tree, my eyes still water, when I remember that day, I was in the 3rd grade.
I swear, I made myself a promise, I would work day and night and give my family gifts. And I have. I don't care if I am broke for a week or two.
I was in junior high when we got our first christmas tree. But there weren't many in Brownsville. They came like in the 1990s!
Mr. Editor, I hate to say this but Junior Bonner is blogging on a harlingen blog. He thougth he was being cute by changing his name, but his horrible writing gives hime away. Oh, he is going by the name of Shunior Bowman.
I hope he won't be hired by the Paz-files anymore, he is creep. He is announcing a new woman from La Colonia Frontera in Reynosa, otra mojada.
Juan Montoya being supported by a woman, I am not surprise, he doesn't work, typical Brownsville crowd, low expectations.
Juan Montoya has a moral obligation to provide for his children. Man, being a journalist is not such a profitable profession. I hear the Valley pays TV reporters around $32.000 a year. Camera people make around $12.00 an hour.
I guess the Valley Morning star and the Herald pays their reporters around $15.00 to $18.00 an hour. (Maybe) maybe less, minimum wage sounds more on line.
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