Richard’s Almanac: A new kind of Christmas

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is upon us and then New Year’s.

We’ve been locked down since mid-March and the future still looks grim. The Christmas season has been different, with diminished family contact and more restrictions seem to be ahead.

We’re moving into the second year unlike any other.

The vaccine is a positive sign. Let’s hope that enough people can get it in a timely manner and that it significantly reduces the spread of the deadly COVID-19.

What I’d like to see is some cure for the disease once one has it. Like a shot one can get after a positive diagnosis or a pill to take. But I’m a layman and don’t understand how the whole process works.

And I do find it amazing that science has been able to get a suitable vaccine with such speed.

In the meantime we all adapt in our own ways to coping with the “new normal.”

For me it’s been in the manner of Christmas present-purchasing and distribution. I have always been the type of person to give gifts in person, unless of course the person to be gifted lives in Texas or Florida.

And I have always been given gifts in person. There have always been dinners and get-togethers and parties for gift giving.

Not this year.

I’ve used the delivery services of all the different businesses selling the gifts I wanted. I’ve shopped locally for some gifts that I’ll give to close family members. The rest have been turned over to Federal Express, UPS and the US Postal Service.

For the most part, these deliveries have been seamless. But there have been a few problems.

One had to do with a package that was being sent to me. I received a call that it would be delivered the next day and I had to sign for it and show proof that I was over 21.

Well, I did leave the house for 10 minutes, and wouldn’t you know it. When I returned there was a sticker on my door notifying me of the missed delivery. So I drove around a bit looking for the Federal Express truck with no luck.

I was told it would be delivered the next day. So I planned to stay home that day. But in the evening, I received a knock on the front door. The delivery man said he saw my lights on and decided to stop before he left the Island. How thoughtful of Federal Express. I had to sign because the gift contained bottles of wine.

This personal touch reminded me of many years ago when there was one UPS man who served the Island. His name was Karol, I believe, and he knew everybody. If he had something in his truck for you and he saw you somewhere other than your home, he’d give you the package. My very young children at the time referred to him as “the Present Man.”

And perhaps the biggest disappointment came from a botched delivery from a major furniture company to my son in New Jersey. I ordered him a sleeper couch as a gift (and also a comfortable place for me to sleep when I visit). Someone had to be home when the delivery arrived.

He took a day off from work. The couch never arrived.

Very aggravating.

One other difficulty with online buying and delivery is making sure the product arrived. All it takes is an email or a call to say, “I received the gift.” But that doesn’t happen all the time.

I do forget that people who are not retired have very busy lives. And they don’t get to the “thank you” as quickly as they should. I remember my mother bugging me about sending thanks to my grandmother for something she’d sent.

I hope everyone enjoys all the gifts and has a great holiday season.

“Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!”