Six years ago, I wrote my first column for the Tryon Daily Bulletin.It was a short piece about finding a Christmas tree during the depression.

Christmas is still a time of memories for me, as I am sure it is for many of you. Growing up in a suburban town about 25 miles from the heart of New York City had many advantages.

During the holiday season, my folks would make the annual trip to the city. The first stop was Radio City Music Hall to see the Christmas show and the fabulous Rockettes. Somehow we had saved enough for this luxury. I recently purchased a DVD of this years version of the Christmas show, and it is still tremendous. I am sure the Rockettes of my youth are no longer doing the synchronized high kicks, but the current version looks great.

The next stop was the plaza at Rockefeller Plaza to see the magnificent Christmas tree and all of the gaily garbed skaters on the ice in the plaza area.

Finally, there was a trip down Fifth avenue to see all of the tremendously decorated store windows. We walked through a few stores , but the highlight was the trip to the F.A.O. Schwartz toy store. It was strictly sightseeing, but I was amazed at the variety of toys,&bsp; especially the large mechanical ones. No, I did not see Tom Hanks dancing on the over-sized keyboard as he did in that great movie, Big.

As I stated, my parents did not have a lot of financial resources at that point in their lives. They gave me something far more valuable. It was their love and many rich memories.

I am sure all of who read my column have your own rich Christmas memories.

My best wishes to you for a great holiday season.~ On the Light Side written by Paul E. Nelson