The Day My Mom Won a Major Award

My mother loves talk radio. She loves to listen and she loves to win the radio contests offered by local radio guests. 

When I was young, she was really lucky. When she was on the air, we would huddle around the radio and listen to her--and yes, laugh a little.

And then one year, she won a major award. It was tickets to the world premiere of a Christmas movie filmed right in Cleveland. The movie was not too hyped. We'd never even heard about it but hey it was better than winning something Italian (you know fra-gee-lee) or a lamp resembling a human body part.

Both my sister and I got in the car with my mom to see the movie. We sang Christmas songs on the way there (you know Deck the Halls--fa-la-la-la, not fa-ra-ra-ra). Then we got to the theater in Cleveland. It was truly a fancy site. There was a Salvation Army band playing (all proceeds from the night went to the organization), a fancy spread of food--no mangled turkey or whole duck though. 

There were stars. But behind a velvet rope. He was there minus a red rider BB gun but with glasses (unbroken) and no, he did not look like a pink nightmare. He was  just looking at the crowds with awe--like he was looking in Higbee's department window. I remembered him from "Real People" but not much else.

We took our seats and we watched to movie. Then just  like that,  the major award was over. 

I told my mom I thought the movie was OK. She insisted the movie was incredible and destined to be a classic in the years to come. I thought she was buzzed from radiator fumes.

And now years later, 25 years to be exact, my mom was right. It is a classic. It was one of the first movies I bought a DVD for and it is a movie I watch every single Christmas with my girls. And every single time I tell them about this night--so much I am sure they are going to try to stick a bar of soap in my mouth to shut me up. 

So what movie is it? Go ahead I guess--I double dog dare ya, no wait, I triple dog dare ya (yes, a breach of etiquette).