 
Krapug
Member
Username: Krapug
Post Number: 54
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, December 19, 2008 - 12:01 pm: |    |
I try to post this story every Christmas, but if I missed a year here and there, forgive me.
For those of us living in, or near Detroit during the 1970's, and who were huge supporters of downtown, there seemed nothing (within reason) that we would not do to encourage everyone we knew to shop downtown, dine downtown, and the like.
As the 70's progressed our battles got tougher, and it seemed that even the news media was out to get us. I remember that one year it seemed like everytime the TV news reported on a negative occurance downtown, they would mention it's proximity to Hudson's, no matter how far way from the store the incident was.
Yet, we remained loyal supporters of downtown. Even after the 67' riots many people would at least make an annual trek downtown to take their famalies to Hudson's. However by the late 70's even those trips were becoming rarer.
So as the Chistmas Season of 1980 rolled around, my sister in law announced during Thanksgiving Dinner that she doubted they would go downtown, since all those horrbile things happen to people who travel there. This started a plan in motion and when I learned that my 6 yer old nephew had a day off the following Friday, I being the good uncle, planned a trip downtown so he could see the "REAL" Santa at downtown
Hudson's.
After reassuring my sister in law that we would in fact return unharmed (an issue that my idiot brother was not able to handle), off we went.
We took the train from Royal Oak, where they lived, to downtown, and after a trip at Cobo Hall, and the downtown Library (an agreed to concession), we spent the rest of the day at Hudson's, and had a blast. On the train ride home (and the train I am referring to was the commuter trains that used to run from Pontiac to a station just outside if the Ren Center), I explained to
PT (my nephews nick-name) that he would get all the toys on his list, since he saw the REAL Santa at downtown Hudson's.
Doing my civic duty I also told him that any of his friends who did NOT see the real Santa would get nothing, as Mall Santas were all liars and fakes.
Fast forward to the following Tuesday morning, and I get a phone call from the principal of his school. It seems that all his classmates burst into tears that Monday, when PT told them that he saw the REAL Santa, and if they did not, they would have nothing under the tree on Christmas morning. The principal further told me that she first called my sister in law, who recommned that she call me since the downtown trip was my doing.
Being nice, I told her that I would explain things to my nephew (which of course I did not). The upshot being almost everyone in PT's class got a trip that season to downtown Hudson's.
PT even went 2 more times with friends since (thanks to his uncle) he knew his way around the big store.
Ken |
Retroit
Member
Username: Retroit
Post Number: 629
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Friday, December 19, 2008 - 12:33 pm: | |
Krapug, thanks. That explains why I get nothing for Christmas. I've often wondered why that was. |
Leticiaweb
Member
Username: Leticiaweb
Post Number: 27
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, December 21, 2008 - 4:55 am: | |
Oh my friggin god, that made me laugh so hard I about pissed my pants. My poor mother would drag all nine of us kids to Hudsons every year. I miss the downtown Satan.
Thanks for posting your story! |
Ja1mz
Member
Username: Ja1mz
Post Number: 146
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, December 21, 2008 - 5:12 am: | |
I saw the Mall Satan the other day...Satan looks the same year after year...he does look alot like Santa I've noticed |
Townonenorth
Member
Username: Townonenorth
Post Number: 506
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, December 21, 2008 - 8:23 am: | |
Yes , that similarity is eerie isn't it?
Just to add to the Christmas story, I was glad that I took my kids to Hudson's downtown before it closed. They have that memory still. |
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