You know how sometimes, just sometimes, the difference between love and hate comes down to intimacy?  Once you know something on a personal level either elevates or lowers your opinion of that thing.  The key is having a story with it – for good or bad.

Here’s my story of why Charley Pride’s “Christmas in my Hometown” is one of my absolute favorite Christmas albums of all time.

My parents owned the cassette tape.  I spent evenings putting on concerts to imaginary audiences when I was young.  Alone in the living room.  It’s a shame no eye witnessed these theatrical events.  They were replete with dancing, acting or at least emoting, and good music.  Each show left me exhausted because I poured my soul into making it the best one ever.

So when cassette tapes and players went the way of the dinosaur my sister searched and searched for a CD version.  She finally found it and we can once again enjoy Mr. Pride’s celebration of the season.  Of course, gone are the performances that used to accompany the songs.  Now, I listen and enjoy the songs probably the way my parents did.  I enjoy the telling of the story.