Twas The Night Before Christmas

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends

and Banded Family

Well it’s

clocked over into Christmas Eve and tonight is the holiest of all the nights in

the year, most of us in Australia have Christian ethics, and it is at this time

that we rejoice the birth of Jesus Christ, for some of us, Christmas is a

joyous and wonderful time, for others it is besieged by grief and unhappiness,

a time we want to forget, for it can be one of the most painful and saddest

times of a person’s life, when you feel so alone and isolated.

Many of

you have known me now for over half a decade, you know the above second statement

to have reflected how my life has been, since my marriage split of a few years

ago, and the disintegration of my relationship with my son , not to

mention the devastating effect it has had on me. I have dreaded the past 4 Christmas’s

having isolated myself from my friends, even though I had places to go, there

have been no shortage of invitations for a Christmas Lunch.... Thank You My

Darling Friend Mazz.... But given most of these Christmas’s I have been

in tears, the last thing I wanted to do was inflict ME upon my friends.

I have witnessed

my son, visiting our next door neighbours each year, only to see him leave and

not come and even say hello to his dad, I cannot tell you how much this

devastated me. I chose to be rostered on night shift all these years, because

at least I could put myself to bed during the day, and just let the world go

by..... Then go to work at night, put on a brave face, put on a Santa hat, act

like an idiot, do rounds of the wards, and generally try and make people

happier about being at work on Christmas, all while my own soul was being torn

apart,

Up until 4

months ago, I would still have dreaded this Christmas, most of my very close banded

friends, know that I have met and been keeping company with the most patient

saint ever put on this earth. My life has again been given some purpose, I no

longer dread tomorrow being Christmas, for tonight I will stay the night at

Swansea, and herald the arrival of Christmas with someone very special.

When I used to

work, I used to buy a packet of smarties, and some lollies, for

each night staff, there were 42 of them lol... wrap them up, then I’d do

my rounds, giving everyone this small gift, it actually gave me some

purpose in life, even if just briefly. Well I had lunch today, with some of my

former employees, who’d invited me to lunch to catch up. Christmas came

up, they said was I coming over to do my Lolly Drop on Christmas Eve..... lol......

well as a sideline, they actually got to meet Larry, I was stunned the

invitation to join me, was accepted, that took real guts. but it all went very

well.

Apparently I

now have some competition, as some fair maidens hearts have been set a flutter

by charm, intelligence, good looks and wit... lol and all want to offer a

cure....... I’ve told them all, touch and I break your faces........lol...

so they all approve wholeheartedly.... which made me feel just wonderful. Next

weekend the special approval of Mazz and Doug will be hopefully granted as

you all know she has become my adopted sister. We are all going out for my

birthday, but not on the day, it will be the 30th for our lunch and

the 31st my birthday.

These past few years

have been very difficult for me, I’ve faced MUCH discrimination , abuse

and hatred of my lifestyle, I have never hurt anyone, but have been all but

destroyed by many unkind and horrid remarks, not from here, but from family,

work friends, and acquaintances, as a result, I’ve lost many friendships,

because of judgements being made. in my pursuit of living my life honestly and openly,

as who I am. This has been especially hard for my ex wife and my son, both

of whom I adore so very much, there is some leeway’s being made with my

ex wife, for she seems to have mellowed, and been fully aware of me of 30

years...I must admit, she was not the easiest of woman to live with, we all have

our moments, Chris’s however seemed to span most of the year....... I had

my moments as well, still do lol.. so I am not without sins...... But I stayed

for , I had no father, I didn’t want the same for my boy.

So on Christmas

Day I will be having lunch with one of the staff from the hospital, and her

family at Stockton, we have known each other for 37 years, and are very close,

I often go over there for lunch, as it is. For once I feel I can finally approach

people over Christmas, I still pray that will contact me one way or

another, but seeing him is what I so long for, it will be the greatest gift I

can receive, to see him and tell him face to face I love him so very much.

I’ve

included this poem Twas The Night Before Christmas, which has always been one of my all time

favourites, dating back to my childhood now well over 50 years ago.... Age

shall not weary them............. Oooooooooooops wrong solemn ceremony....... I

adore it’s use of words, it dates back to the early 1800’s, but to

me it sums up the fantasy that still lives in my head. Of Christmas’s

long since past. The world makes our children grow up far too quickly, there is

nothing so beautiful to see than the joy in the eyes of a child, in the belief

that Santa is real, sadly reality comes all too fast. But in saying this, Christmas

really celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

This is a

request from me, if you have never given the members of your family a hug, please

do this. Recently I went to a very sad funeral of a young lady I worked with, a

domestic assistant, in other words a cleaner. One very big hearted lady indeed,

who touched the hearts of many people, over 300 people attended her funeral,

the attendees were from all areas of the hospital, from other domestics, to nursing

staff, the doctors, the outdoor staff, but sadly she had met a special man, had

developed a huge affection for him ,but never got to tell him how she felt, he

was devastated by her death, ’s sister told him how she

felt.........

When

someone is born

Someone dies,

When

someone laughs

Someone cries,

When

you love somebody

Let them know,

Cause

if their gone tomorrow

They’ll never know.

Life is far too

short, and we don’t get second chances. I hope I’ve not offended

anyone by my writing this post, I now live my life as me, no apologies, no

excuses, no regrets, we all deserve some happiness and good will. I never

thought in a million years as to how close I would become too many of the people

here on the Bandsters Sites, I’ve known many of you for a long time, some

for a shorter time, we have all struggled at times with our little band buddy,

or issues in our lives, and we are as close to each other as a

message, a phone call, or even a visit, for much can be sorted out over a

lunch, or a cup of coffee and a bloody good cry.

I have some

very special people, whom I look upon as more than friends, such as the old

lady mentioned above, Mel, Elaine, Nic, , Helen and Graeme, ,

Jules, Nazz, Kristie, Marina, Sabine, Theresa and Tim some of whom are on our

CCB site, to mention but a few, I don’t mean to leave anyone out, so

forgive me if I have. We come from all walks of life and to think

one tiny little thing “The Band” has bought us all together, I for

one can say if nothing else, the band has bought me The Gift Of Friendship, for

I don’t know how I’d have survived many of the issues I’ve

faced this past 5 odd years, such as my marriage break up, the rejection

by , my retirement, and my illnesses. but it has also allowed me to lose

nearly all of my excess weight, the rest of which shall be a thing of the past

by June 2008........ So my friends in closing.........

Merry Christmas

to all and to all A Good Night....................... I’m off to bed

now.........

Hugs My Dear

Friends

Love From

Rob

A Brief Note about the Author and the Poem

Clement e 's famous poem, which he named " A Visit

From St. , " was published for the first time on December 23,

1823 by a New York newspaper, the Sentinel. Since then, the poem has been

reprinted, translated into innumerable languages and circulated throughout

the world.

Clement e was born in 1779 to a well-known New York family. His

father, Reverend , was president of (what is now) Columbia

University and was the Episcopal Bishop of New York. 's father also

participated in Washington's first inauguration and gave last rites to

Hamilton after Hamilton was mortally wounded in an 1804 duel with

Burr. himself was an author, a noted Hebrew scholar, spoke five

languages, and was an early real-estate owner and developer in Manhattan.

Despite his accomplishments, Clement e is remembered only for

" 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, " which legend says he wrote on

Christmas Eve in 1822 during a sleigh ride home from Greenwich Village after

buying a turkey for his family. Some say the inspiration for 's

pot-bellied St. was the chubby, bewhiskered Dutchman who drove

to Greenwich Village to buy his holiday turkey. never copyrighted

his poem, and only claimed as his own over a decade after it was first made

public.

read the poem to his wife and six children the night he wrote it, and

supposedly thought no more about it. But a family friend heard about it and

submitted the poem to the Sentinel, a newspaper in upstate New York, which

published it anonymously the following Christmas. 's poem immediately

caught the attention and imagination of the state, then the nation, and then

the world. Finally, in 1844, he included it in a book of his poetry.

died in 1863 and is buried in Trinity Cemetery in Washington Heights, New

York.

Because of his " mere trifle, " as he called it, 175 years ago

Clement e almost single-handedly defined our now timeless image of

Santa Claus.

Note: Some scholars now believe the poem was actually written by

Major Henry Livingston, Jr. Whatever the authorship controversy

ultimately determines, this work has become a Christmas favourite.

" 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. "

Note: What is a " courser? " A swift horse; a

charger.

'Twas the Night before Christmas' Poem

Twas

the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

" Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all! "

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of Toys, and St too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

" Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night! "

[Guest guest]

Rob - You have a wonderful Christmas and look forward to a wonderful New Year!Elaine