'GOING Christmas Shopping'

Do you know what? I had a lovely day on the 8th because I did something I used to do all the time but I now haven't done much for years... Do you know what that was?

No! It WAS NOT THAT!! (really, your minds!)

No, I actually left my house, traveled to Seaford, East Sussex and WENT Christmas shopping. 

High Street, Seaford 1952. Pic courtesy of macfisheries.co.uk

Looking in all of the shop windows, browsing in all of the quaint little shops and talking to some of the shop owners reminded me of what life when we all WENT OUT THE DOOR to do things was like. As much as I love Amazon.com and am as guilty as everyone else these days for doing most of my Christmas shopping there the experience of actually going somewhere trying to find that special gift for whoever is so much nicer.

I really had forgotten how, when you suddenly clap eyes on something you think is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT for this person or that, how exciting it is. Chatting to the person in the shop about how your friend/wife/lover is going to love the gift really ADDS to the whole spirit of Christmas and the rest of the day you feel happy because you keep thinking about the moment that person will open your present and be made up with life!

Seaford may sound like an odd choice of place to go but I went there with my parents who like to potter around charity shops in search of a bargain. Mum and Dad are both now into their 70's and Dad especially isn't able to do the amount of walking he once used to. Seaford is quite a compact little place and has a fair few charity shops for its size. Watching Mum and Dad struggle a bit these days does bring home to me just how much time ticks on relentlessly and that often upsets me because I cannot imagine life without them? Still, I am thankfully aware that the clock is ticking and so these days do everything I can to enjoy days like the other day in case there aren't many more of them...

I know this sounds quite morbid and sad but if all of us could think this way about all of the people we love ALL YEAR ROUND who would ever moan about buying someone a gift at Christmas or writing them a card? It makes perfect sense as well to be in touch with your mortality because that way if there is something you REALLY want to do in life it is so much easier to make the decision to DO IT!

Why not put your computer away for a day? Get yourself out into the real world and onto a bus or a train (even if you normally drive) and go shopping. When you don't have the car to worry about and when you have others in your heart you will find Christmas shopping a really uplifting experience. I know the shops these days aren't what they used to be and that there are not so many nowadays but places like Rye and Seaford are still wonderful little towns with healthy town centres so its not impossible (yet) to recreate that spirit of yesteryear...

Photo of a traditional shop in  Rye by Carol Brazel