It’s about time for the Christmas travel shuffle

Growing up in a family business and then working in the publications industry for more than 30 years gave me the sense that when it comes to Christmas—the day many Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, including myself—it also means I will be adjusting my schedule.

I understand what farmers and ranchers have to do. They still have to get up and do chores, even if it is for just a few hours on a special day.

At one time Christmas was for everyone in the immediate family to gather at two events—at each set of grandparents who lived within 6 miles of each other. For myself it meant I could play with the cousins and watch the adults play card games. It was very nostalgic, I was fortunate that all my grandparents got along and allowed my folks to spend time with each side of the family. Often it was Christmas eve at one set and Christmas morning at the other.

Growing older, as the folks got involved with their business, trips were condensed so that it was only a short stay at each and we’d head back late in the day on Christmas. It was just the way it was. In the teen years I had to get back home so myself and my brothers could participate in required basketball practices.

Sometimes there was just too much to do on the home or business front and dad, in consultation with mom, opted to have our family stay home rather than travel. Those Christmas celebrations would be planned after the holidays. I’m not sure how the grandparents took the news but from what I could glean they always understood as they were involved in day-to-day agriculture too. My cousins, years later, related the same story.

Dad always gave me sage advice and to paraphrase, “Not making the trip is the hardest the first time, but it gets easier to say no after that.”

In the end that was a blessing in disguise because working in the media meant there were only a handful of days to be away. My extended family in the newspaper world meant working together so people could take turns being gone either around Christmas Day or the alternate Christmas Day (Jan. 1). Once I had to work on Christmas night as a member of the staff who had to put out a paper for subscribers I hoped were clamoring for that Saturday morning edition.

This year Christmas falls on a Tuesday and that will mean driving back Christmas Day to get back to Dodge City so I can get back to work by Wednesday morning. It is the life of a journalist who shares a similar vocation with farmers and ranchers.