34 Years of Christmas Poems: Christmas 1992

The poem this year had a very simple, very direct theme; choice.

So many people were caught up in the frantic whirl of the holidays, stressing about all that "must" be done and descending into various degrees of unhappiness. Others, going with the flow, enjoyed the energetic rush and never seemed to get fazed. When I asked what was the difference between the two points of view, the simple answer that came up was "It is what you choose it to be." Straightforward, direct and to the point.

And by the way, I was one of those stressing; I was all over this one. My wife, several close friends and I were immersed in spiritual studies during an almost fifteen year period which included a close friend who was a channel for spirit. (Yes, I needed great convincing that it was real. You'll have to take my word; it was.) When I asked about why things were turning out in ways that I didn't like, I was told it was because of what I chose to remember and focus upon. I gradually understood what that meant and the real power behind it. That is the focus of this particular poem.

One historical reference sneaks in in the first line. Bill Clinton had just been elected President in 1992 and a great part of his campaign was "I still believe in a place called Hope." He was born in Hope, Arkansas and that played perfectly as the first note for this theme.

Christmas 1992

by

Richard Perrotti

Some may come from a place called Hope;

All start from a place called love.

While the memory may fade on the journey,

Our home ever beckons above.

We often get lost during everyday life,

Pausing later to mourn what we lack.

But our calendar is rigged with some “roadblocks,”

To help us get back aboard track.

Holidays march on, to a ruthless degree,

Overtaking mun-daily routine.

And the end of the year brings “The Big One,”

There’s just no avoiding that scene.

You can go with the flow and enjoy it,

Or sullenly sit and lament,

That this annual show, starring “Brotherhood,”

Is some made-for-TV event.

Get beyond the glitz and glamour,

Give yourself some room to rejoice.

Despite the confusion that surrounds you,

Remembering remains as your choice.

Go beyond to find the true meaning,

Hidden deep in your memory’s shelf.

Going beyond Christmas to that place called love,

Is coming home… to yourself.

December 1992 doings:
1st - 2 C-141B Starlifters collide in Montana & crash, 13 die
1st - Amy Fisher sentenced 5-15 yrs for shooting Mary Jo Buttafuoco
2nd - WQEW-AM radio replaces WQXR on 1560 in NYC
3rd - UN Security Council votes unanimous for US led forces to enter Somalia
3rd - The Greek oil tanker Aegean Sea, carrying 80,000 tonnes of crude oil, runs aground in a storm while approaching La Coruña, Spain, and spills much of its cargo.
4th - Somali Civil War: President George H. W. Bush orders 28,000 US troops to Somalia in Northeast Africa.
6th - 300,000 hindus destroy mosque of Babri India, 4 die
6th - 81st Davis Cup: USA beats Switzerland in Fort Worth (3-1)
6th - Dottie Mochrie/Dan Forsmann wins LPGA J C Penney Golf Classic
6th - SF 49er Jerry Rice catches NFL record 101st touchdown
6th - SF Giants renig on $43 million pact with Barry Bonds
7th - Galileo spacecraft passes North Pole of Moon (Peary Crater)
8th - Galileo's nearest approach to Jupiter (303 km)
8th - NBC announces that "Cheers" will go off the air in May, 1993
9th - 3rd Billboard Music Awards
9th - Cin Red owner Marge Schott apologizes for racist remarks
9th - Operation Restore Hope - US Marines land in Somalia
9th - Sri Lanka's third-ever Test Cricket victory (v NZ by 9 wkts)
9th - NJ Devils organization announces that it will change its colors to black, red, & white for the 1992-93 season
10th - "My Favorite Year" opens at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC for 37 perfs
10th - NHL awards franchises to Miami & Anaheim (for 1994-95)
10th - NY Yankees sign free agent pitcher Jimmy Key
10th - Orlanda Magic scores 14 3-pointers (2 shy of record)
11th - Nor'easter storm hits NY, doing $ Billion worth of damage
11th - WNEW AM radio on 1130 in NYC ends transmitting after 58 years
12th - 58th Heisman Trophy Award: Gino Torretta, Miami-Fla (QB)
12th - 6.8-7.5 earthquake strikes Flores Island (tsunami kills 3,000)
12th - Japanese crown prince Naruhito announces engagement to Masaka Owada
12th - Julia Kurotchkina, 18, of Russia, crowned 42nd Miss World
12th - NY Giants lose 19-0 to Phoenix Cardinals
13th - "Show Off" closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 45 performances
13th - Dawn Coe-Jone wins Pizza-La LPGA Match Play Golf Championship
13th - FCC fines Infinity Broadcasting $600,000
14th - Lennox Lewis given WBC title, when Riddick Bowe refused to fight him
15th - Arthur Ashe is named Sports Illustrated Sportman of Year
15th - WNEW AM (1130) NYC resigns air, replaced by WBBR
17th - "Christmas Carol" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 22 performances
17th - Gen Suwa finds tooth of 4.4 million year old Australopithecus ramidus
18th - FCC vote 4-1 to allow Infinity to purchase Cook Inlet stations
20th - Northwest & KLM introduce a new joint logo "Worldwide Reliability"
20th - Slobodan Milosevic re-elected president of Serbia
21st - Dutch DC-10 in fire at landing on Faro Portugal, 56 die
22nd - Libyan MIG-23UB attacks Boeing 727 at Souk al-Sabt, 158 die
24th - Pres Bush pardons Caspar Weinberger of Iran-contra affair
26th - NY Jet announcer Marty Glickman retires at 75
27th - "3 From Brooklyn" closes at Helen Hayes Theater NYC after 45 perfs
27th - "Les Miserables" opens at Ostregaswerks, Copenhagen
27th - "Tommy Tune Tonite! Song & Dance Act" opens at Gershwin NYC for 10 per
27th - 13th United Negro College Fund raises $11,000,000
27th - Harry Connick Jr is caught with 9mm gun in NY's JFK airport
27th - Nancy Sheehan wins LPGA Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge Golf Tournament
29th - Gov Cuomo grants Jean Harris (Scarsdale Diet Dr killer) clemency
30th - Last day of Test Cricket for Michael Whitney
30th - Shane Warne takes 7-52 to lead Australian MCG win v West Indies
31st - Target date for Europe's single market
31st - WCBS TV news anchor Carol Martin weds Joe Terry