I was in my teens, my parents and I had stopped in several stores during the hustle and bustle of the holiday rush, to mark off some names from their Christmas list. I remember both my mom and I were holding bags filled with our purchases, when we walked out the door into the parking lot.
Straight in front of us, a small crowd had gathered. There was a man with a long beard who spoke to the crowd, whatever he was saying, it had them all mesmerized. We stopped to listen. I remember pushing myself up to the front so I could see. He was in regular clothes for that time of year, but on his head, he wore a Christmas hat. He was probably in his twenties.
“Anyone,” he asked.
The crowd looked at each other.
“I’ll say it again for the new folks joining us,” he said.
I folded my arms as he stepped back to broadcast.
“Here’s a Christmas riddle for you,” he said, “What is on my hat, that you get one free?”
I glanced at his Christmas hat. Just towards the bottom of it, there was a small mistletoe leaf.
The crowd looked at each other again in confusion. Are you serious? It’s not that hard.
“Mistletoe,” I called out.
The man seemed shocked that I had gotten it, he stood there for a second and then nodded. He pointed at me, signaling that I was correct. It wasn’t until he started walking towards me that I realized what I had just done to myself. As he bent down, he puckered his lips.
I flung my hands up in front of my face as I screamed. Leave it to me to be subtle. I fell backwards into the crowd, desperately searching for my parents. I was about to be kidnapped, where were they? The man stopped in his tracks and flung his hands up to his sides.
“What,” he cried out, “do I have fangs?”
He seemed a little insulted. It’s then I caught a glimpse of my father, who had been standing behind me the entire time. He was laughing! I tripped out of the crowd and bolted for the car. The realization of why no one was answering his riddle, was crystal clear at that point.
Yep, lesson learned.
Straight in front of us, a small crowd had gathered. There was a man with a long beard who spoke to the crowd, whatever he was saying, it had them all mesmerized. We stopped to listen. I remember pushing myself up to the front so I could see. He was in regular clothes for that time of year, but on his head, he wore a Christmas hat. He was probably in his twenties.
“Anyone,” he asked.
The crowd looked at each other.
“I’ll say it again for the new folks joining us,” he said.
I folded my arms as he stepped back to broadcast.
“Here’s a Christmas riddle for you,” he said, “What is on my hat, that you get one free?”
I glanced at his Christmas hat. Just towards the bottom of it, there was a small mistletoe leaf.
The crowd looked at each other again in confusion. Are you serious? It’s not that hard.
“Mistletoe,” I called out.
The man seemed shocked that I had gotten it, he stood there for a second and then nodded. He pointed at me, signaling that I was correct. It wasn’t until he started walking towards me that I realized what I had just done to myself. As he bent down, he puckered his lips.
I flung my hands up in front of my face as I screamed. Leave it to me to be subtle. I fell backwards into the crowd, desperately searching for my parents. I was about to be kidnapped, where were they? The man stopped in his tracks and flung his hands up to his sides.
“What,” he cried out, “do I have fangs?”
He seemed a little insulted. It’s then I caught a glimpse of my father, who had been standing behind me the entire time. He was laughing! I tripped out of the crowd and bolted for the car. The realization of why no one was answering his riddle, was crystal clear at that point.
Yep, lesson learned.
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