A Merry Katsopolismas: spreading the Word
Oh, my Gavinistas and Katsopolistas! It’s been one heck of a holiday, but I’m back and good tidings I bring! On Thursday morning, I filmed a segment on the scores of Bay Area travelers camping out at the airport in hopes of catching a flight to Colorado as soon as the Denver International Airport reopened after being shut down by a nasty blizzard. It was a stirring report that included this tragic kicker (both written and delivered by yours truly): “For many, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but these tearful travelers will be spending it here. Gone is their worry that they’ll be getting a shiny new Nintendo Wii or TMX Elmo for Christmas. All these folks want [long pause] is to make it home for the holidays.” As we wrapped up the report and my cameraman Guy headed back to the van to dice and splice, I had one of those hit you upside the head Full House revelations: It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.
It’s the lesson so movingly delivered in Full House season two, episode nine when a Christmas Eve blizzard leaves the crew stuck in an airport on their way to the first annual Tanner Family Christmas Reunion in Colorado…Denver, Colorado. Some might call it a coincidence that I was sent to cover the story of San Franciscans thwarted from their holiday in the very same town. I, however, call it a Christmas miracle. This was a memo from the big guy upstairs; he wanted these travelers to learn the lesson bestowed upon the Tanner family some 17 years ago. My mission couldn’t have been any more apparent: afterall, I just “happened” to have the season two DVD in my laptop bag -- a little treat I’d planned for myself during my lunch break.
I stayed with those troubled travelers that day and through the night. But, we did not sleep a wink. The seven of us huddled around my laptop, watching the uplifting episode 32 times. And, as though through some kind of divine intervention, my laptop battery lasted the entire night. The tears continued to flow, but I would venture to say that sometime during our thirteenth viewing they became tears of wonder, tears of clarity, tears of joy. Eric Gertz, a five-year-old screaming his cute little head off at the prospect of being stuck in an airport on Christmas -- sans a chimney, he cleverly pointed out -- was heartened by the magical appearance of the Tanners’ gifts on the luggage carrousel.
But, of course, it’s Uncle Jesse who articulates the heart of this true-life parable. Everyone’s complaining about their own sorry predicament: DJ wants her presents, Stephanie’s throwing a fit because Joey masqueraded as Santa and Becky misses her cow back home in Nebraska. Then our beloved Jesse Katsopolis offers up a core-shaking sermon: “What’s the matter with you people? The first Christmas was in a manger -- they did okay. I mean so what if we’re stuck in this crummy dump? Christmas isn’t about presents or Santa Claus or cows. It’s about a feeling, it’s about people. It’s about us forgetting about our problems and reaching out to help other people. Christmas doesn’t have to happen in one certain place…it happens in our hearts.”
Indeed, Christmas is about people. And, in my heart, these travelers -- once strangers -- became my family. If Full House teaches us anything, it’s that family is not about blood relations or conventional domestic set-ups. The Tanner family is our family; “the Tanner family” is synonymous with “the human species” or “the American dream.”
Feel that? The JesseGav family just grew by six. Pay it forward, my friends. Pay it forward.
--Maggie Arlington
It’s the lesson so movingly delivered in Full House season two, episode nine when a Christmas Eve blizzard leaves the crew stuck in an airport on their way to the first annual Tanner Family Christmas Reunion in Colorado…Denver, Colorado. Some might call it a coincidence that I was sent to cover the story of San Franciscans thwarted from their holiday in the very same town. I, however, call it a Christmas miracle. This was a memo from the big guy upstairs; he wanted these travelers to learn the lesson bestowed upon the Tanner family some 17 years ago. My mission couldn’t have been any more apparent: afterall, I just “happened” to have the season two DVD in my laptop bag -- a little treat I’d planned for myself during my lunch break.
I stayed with those troubled travelers that day and through the night. But, we did not sleep a wink. The seven of us huddled around my laptop, watching the uplifting episode 32 times. And, as though through some kind of divine intervention, my laptop battery lasted the entire night. The tears continued to flow, but I would venture to say that sometime during our thirteenth viewing they became tears of wonder, tears of clarity, tears of joy. Eric Gertz, a five-year-old screaming his cute little head off at the prospect of being stuck in an airport on Christmas -- sans a chimney, he cleverly pointed out -- was heartened by the magical appearance of the Tanners’ gifts on the luggage carrousel.
But, of course, it’s Uncle Jesse who articulates the heart of this true-life parable. Everyone’s complaining about their own sorry predicament: DJ wants her presents, Stephanie’s throwing a fit because Joey masqueraded as Santa and Becky misses her cow back home in Nebraska. Then our beloved Jesse Katsopolis offers up a core-shaking sermon: “What’s the matter with you people? The first Christmas was in a manger -- they did okay. I mean so what if we’re stuck in this crummy dump? Christmas isn’t about presents or Santa Claus or cows. It’s about a feeling, it’s about people. It’s about us forgetting about our problems and reaching out to help other people. Christmas doesn’t have to happen in one certain place…it happens in our hearts.”
Indeed, Christmas is about people. And, in my heart, these travelers -- once strangers -- became my family. If Full House teaches us anything, it’s that family is not about blood relations or conventional domestic set-ups. The Tanner family is our family; “the Tanner family” is synonymous with “the human species” or “the American dream.”
Feel that? The JesseGav family just grew by six. Pay it forward, my friends. Pay it forward.
--Maggie Arlington
posted by jessegavin at 4:26 PM
3 Comments:
that family comradory was truly a christmas blessing.
however, an inside source has just told me that uncle j has really fallen off the deep end as of late. my friend; we'll call him alierak, was on the way to a xena warrior princess trade show in duluth georgia and out of every cabdriver in the city, who is the one who drives alierak to SFO? uncle jesse.
alierak told me that he didn't recognize uncle j at first. a 2-week unshaven face, SF 49ers hat pulled low, a grey/blue button'd up plaid jacket and black leather gloves with the tips of the fingers cut off.
thinking nothing of who was escorting him to the airport, alierak waited a few miles into his destination before glancing over at the meter. he noticed a photograph taped next to it, double taked, and realized it was a photo of joey gladstone. he couldn't believe it. almost instantly, alierak said he started to get this intuition. from when he first stepped into the cab he said he smelt what he had thought was fish. almost immediately, uncle jesse grabbed what looked like a poptart from the front seat and right then and there, alierak realized it was a flounder tart; just like the ones joey had created back in 1993. already feeling some what puzzled, alierak also saw what looked to be a rabbits paw hanging from a string of roseary beads from the rear view mirror. upon further/closer examination, he thought to himself that there was no way it could have been a rabbits paw. it was rather large not to mention goldish brown/yellow in color. could this have belonged to the lovable tanner mut, comet?
alierak was bugging out and did his best to stay quiet without asking any questions until he was to be dropped off at the airport. upon getting out of the cab uncle jesse says, 'that'll be $28.55 superstar'.
alierak says: 'can you break a hundred?'
uncle jesse, in a panic frenzy, says, 'what are you kidding me? i can't break a hundred huh... i'm a fucking low class shoufer!'
without hesitation, alierak gave uncle j his discover card, was charged, and the cab pulled away. alierak [stunned], went to baggage claim, waited until the free minutes on his verizon plan kicked in and enticed me with his story.
This is AMAZING, Guy. In fact, it inspired my latest post. This kind of inside info is exactly why you are our cameraman, and a damn fine one, at that.
thanks for your kind words. you know i'm 100% down for the cause!
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