It Ain't Christmas 'Til Ralphie Gets His Gun

My wife and I were about the only people in the theater when we first saw "A Christmas Story", Jean Shepherd's recollection of a kid's Christmas in the Midwest of his youth.
I thought the movie was brilliant. It was funny and pitch perfect in its recall of kids and their lives before television, computers and dads who wanted to be their pals instead of their father.
In short, it reminded me of how it was when I was a kid, right down to the pesky kid brother. I never understood why the movie didn't do well in its initial 1983 release. Probably it was lousy studio promotion. But, it has become a TV classic.

I should admit that I was a longtime Jean Shepherd fan. The first time I heard him on the radio, for that's where he began, he was sneaking into the speakers of my little transistor radio via the 50 kilowatt power of New York's WOR. It was late at night when I should have been sleeping. I had never heard anyone like him before when I roamed the nation from under the covers of my cold Michigan bed. In addition to New York, I would listen to stations from Boston, Chicago, sometimes even Los Angeles and dream of someday escaping my small town prison and MAYBE even being able to work at one of these magical stations.

As I said, Shepherd was different. He didn't play the hits. He told stories...his stories, stories like the Christmas Story. Listening to Jean Shepherd was a nightly stream of consciousness that covered everything from his childhood, his time in the Army to what he would be doing tomorrow. He was amazing. If you never heard him, I can't explain. If you are familiar, well...you know what I mean. He made you feel like you weren't alone. You and he shared this special world together, and he was FUNNY.

Flick gets his tongue frozen to the flagpole

So, here we are a week from Christmas and I'm ready. I think TBS is the channel that runs "A Christmas Story" for all twenty-four hours of Christmas. I've still got plenty of time to check my TV Guide, but rest assured that I'll catch it at least twice before the big day is done. Like I said, it ain't Christmas 'til Ralphie gets his gun...Oh, and the Old Man gets his Major Award!

Merry Christmas...

Don't put your eye out, kid.