I’m giving serious thought to putting my name in the hat for the next season of the TV show Survivor.

On the heels of venturing out on the last Saturday before Dec. 25 to do all my Christmas shopping, one would think sleeping in tent surrounded by wild animals and snakes, and eating cold food is easy compared to braving the rush of thousands of last-minute shoppers.

Yep…I did it….making it safely to and from G-Vegas (Greenville) on Saturday. It appears from the number of cars on Greenville Blvd. and the battle to find a parking place within at least one zip code of the store, I wasn’t the only one that had postponed their Christmas shopping until the last weekend before Santa arrives!

At the Greenville Mall, it took me longer to locate a parking spot than it did to enter the facility, buy my son-in-law a gift, pay for it and leave. I’m not kidding!

Up the road at Wally World, it was like entering a war zone. I actually feared for my life a couple of times in an attempt to score one of the few HD TV’s remaining on the near-empty shelves. The one I wanted came down to me and one other guy. I noted he was wearing an ECU sweatshirt, so I yelled out – “Hey, look over there, isn’t that Ruffin McNeil?” That distracted him just long enough for me to grab that final box and head for the cash register.

But this column isn’t just about Christmas shopping and a story of survival, but rather for letting Santa know (I hope he’s reading this) what’s on the “Wish List” of others.

For their next debate, the National Republican Party needs a truckload of shoulder pads and helmets in order to protect the 13-or-so GOP’ers who still think they have a shot at winning their party’s presidential nomination. Those guys – and gal – are downright vicious to each other. I’ve seen Pit Bulls who were a lot friendlier.

Speaking of politics, here’s hoping that Santa can sit down and speak with the DNC (Democratic National Party) about the importance of sharing….especially voter data information.

Closer to home, it’s my wish that Santa can deliver First Sgt. Mike Warren of the Highway Patrol office in Ahoskie a fatality-free 2016 on the roadways of the Roanoke-Chowan area.

Santa, please put it on the heart of the person or persons who know the individual that shot and killed Ruby Baker back in 2014 to step forward and share that information with the Ahoskie Police.

Ditto for those that know the person who pulled the trigger and murdered Chowan student DaMarco Trevon Duncan during a party at a Murfreesboro nightclub on Dec. 5. That info can be shared with the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office.

Here’s hoping that Santa can convince “big oil” companies to continue selling cheap gas. It fell to $1.79 per gallon in the Ahoskie market this past Friday….and I like it!!

To the organizers of Relay for Life events in Bertie, Hertford/Gates and Northampton, it’s my wish that Santa leaves a cure for all cancers in your respective stockings.

For the good folks over in Gates County, I personally asked Santa to locate a half-dozen or so new businesses willing to open at Merchants Commerce Center, bringing numerous job opportunities in the process as well as ensuring that the big investment made by county officials in the highly debated wastewater treatment plant upgrade was worth all the public backlash.

And, finally, to everyone in our little corner of the world, here’s hoping that Santa fills your hearts with the real meaning of Christmas.

 

Cal Bryant is Editor of Roanoke-Chowan Publications. He can he contacted at cal.bryant@r-cnews.com or 252-332-7207.