Apartment hunting was depressing. What I can afford is no better than what I have now - but cheaper. It was nice being out in the cool sunlight. I liked looking at all the Christmas Festivities and being the recipient of smiles I probably didn't deserve.
For some reason it reminded me of my Brother In Law. He was a true sociopath, a notorious gangster, thief, and if you believe the FBI (which is seldom a good idea-they are very amoral), killer responsible for either committing or ordering over 100 deaths.
Like all sociopaths he was charming as hell and I actually liked him quite a bit. I was visiting him in the MCC (Metropolitan Correctional Center) one Christmas eve and he began to wax nostalgic. He told how he was released from prison in Terre Haute Indiana on December 23rd. He was worried about getting home and having no Christmas gifts for his wife, who waited 8 years for him, or for his father. He told me how the "G" was very big on moving you all around the country but not to paticular about how you got home.
He was cold hungry and depressed on Christmas eve. He was afraid to re-enter his families life as a broke ex-con, then this miracle happened. As the snow flakes grew flat and fluffy and swirled from moonlight to streetlight he saw her. A tall, distinguished woman, she was weighed down in packages. He looked at her and suddenly realized he was moving towards her. He pulled his scarf tight across his face and robbed her. When he opened her purse he realized there was a God who looked after him because inside there was nearly $10,000 in cash. He let his victim keep her packages. At first he felt that would be stupid but then he decided it would be a Christmassy thing to do and a decent offering to God.
He told the story with no sense of sarcasm or irony.
For him it was a Christmas miracle. He rushed home and had the best Christmas ever.