The scene could have adorned the cover of the old Saturday Evening Post. It was that Norman Rockwellian.
Beaming parents, cherubic kids and compliant pets packed the outdoor plaza of South Tampa’s Hyde Park Village. Young ballerinas and music from The Nutcracker was the center of attention. There would be a Santa sighting before it was over.
No one talked of (HPV owner) Wasserman scenarios and turbulent times for retail. What Gator game?
The focus was kids and Christmas: a never-more-important constant in a world undergoing unprecedented change.