Ghosts of Christmases Past

I know it's already two weeks past Christmas, but I recently dug up some great pictures from Christmases past that I found worth sharing with my family and friends. The most recent was sent to me by my Uncle Meredith (dad's twin brother). It's a great shot of my brothers Jon (in a dorky turtleneck) and Evan (the baby on Jon's lap, also sporting a turtleneck) and sister Denise (with her Holly Hobby curls and jean mini skirt) with our great grandmother Cassie (my dad's mom's mother) at our house in Topeka, KS, in December 1975. That's me at left looking cool lounging in my silk pajamas a la Hugh Hefner.

Going back one year to 1974, we have a picture of me and older brother Jon (front and center) with (back row, from left) cousins Brian (Meredith's oldest) and Shana (Aunt Ann's oldest), brother Evan, sister Denise (yes, already sporting the Holly Hobby curls) and cousin Brian (Mark's younger brother). I like how I'm sporting the hip '70s open collar and Jon still has the dorky turtleneck).

Leaping back five years to 1969, we find brother Jon (at left), sister Denise (no hair to curl) and me (dorky turtleneck but cool plaid pants with rolled cuffs) hangin' with Santa at the White Lakes Mall in Topeka.

Those of you who remember White Lakes absolutely must click on this link and check out the picture of the fountain at White Lakes Mall. One day while shopping there I bent over to pluck a coin from the water and Jon pushed me in the fountain (it's much smaller than I remember!). I went in head first and came out dripping wet and chased him the length of the mall screaming bloody murder. Jon, do you remember? Of course you don't. But I will never forget!

The moral of this story of Christmases past is that I've always been the fashion trendsetter in my family, as evidenced by this pic of me in 1980 in my courderoy suit complete with vest and open collared shirt.

OK, so maybe I was falling a little behind the fashion trends in 1980, when Alex P. Keaton ushered in the conservatism on the 1980s and signaled the end of the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 70s. But it wasn't long before I ditched the open collars and traded in the bell-bottom pants for a blue suit, white shirt and striped tie and joined the Teenage Republicans to campaign for Ronald Reagan (see pic below with sister Denise and Evan, a.k.a. Alex. P. Keaton, Jr.)!

So what fashion trends will the Obama Administration bring to America? Rumor has it that the suit with no tie look is the new look in our Nation's capital. And who knows, maybe the turtleneck will make a comeback. For me, I still prefer bell bottoms and open collared shirts.

Long live the '70s!

Daren