December 24, 1960, Appleton Post-Crescent
I tend to get nostalgic at times in doing this blog, but probably more so during the holidays. And so it was too for a newspaper editor from 1860, marveling at the rise of Christmas traditions in his present compared to twenty years before.
What ever could he think of Christmas one hundred years hence, if he could have seen this article resurrected for the season? What would he marvel at in this year of 2018? Computers? The internet? Cell phones? It is the stuff of science fiction movies perhaps to him, of having indoor plumbing, of motorized moving conveyances without horses, or of having a marvelous device in everyone's pocket that not only can communicate with folks afar, but also have more information than all the libraries of 1860. Why, it might have even given this editor cause for alarm that his own livelihood could be jeopardized by such a device, and he wouldn't have been necessarily wrong.
Despite my ramblings, one thing stands out about this editor's description of his Christmas so long ago- the anticipation and excitement. Regardless of how simple the offerings might have been, the sentiments remain the same. We all, no matter our age or the calendar year, tend to await eagerly the tidings of the season. And I take solace that that never changes.
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