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house made me ask my father for use of our family's motorhome and before long the Law Family Bago was parked in the tree lot and manned every night by none other than yours truly. Of course I needed help and my friends were right there to answer the call. And, of course, when the rest of the Entertainment Unit found out that David Law had his Bago in the West High parking lot, well

The Law Family Bago in the West High parking lot was the place to be on those dark winter nights in Torrance when Mom and Dad thought you were upstairs studying for your American History AP. I was there mostly every night, camping out with the Bago running off the school's electricity, and throughout December I'd have visitors from all parts of the student body come check out my little aluminum kingdom. No one really checked on me, (I was DAVID LAW, sterling star of West High School, and there was no way I could be abusing my parents' motorhome, right?), and thus I was free to do what I pleased. One night a group of raved-out pill-poppers stopped by after their day-long party and I spent the evening listening to trance music and helping them ride-out the rest of their highs. Another night the drum captain brought over alcohol from his parents' liquor cabinet and succeeded in getting several flutists, a tuba player, and almost half of the drill team drunk. We had cheerleaders and football players stopping by after games, most of the student government popping their heads in after class, and even some West alums who had stayed local made guest appearances from time to time. I welcomed them all without reservation and at the end of every tree season I truly felt like I had done my part to bond our West Torrance family that much tighter.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

The Law Family Bago remained the official Bago of the West High Christmas Tree Lot for a little less than a decade. It was used near the end of my time at West, throughout my brother's time at West, and for several years after both 1st-generation Laws' had left the West High Entertainment Unit. Even after they stopped using our Bago my family still bought trees from the lot and to this day a tree from the West High Lot stands in our foyer every Christmas. Looking at the tree this year, I was reminded of those hazy nights of my adolescence spent in the West High parking lot, of that little tint of magic that used to glaze over every holiday season when I was 17 and didn't know a thing about the world outside of Torrance. I've come a million miles since then, (and God knows that I have a million more to go from here), but despite that I am so very thankful that I have the kind of consistency in my life that allows me to keep in touch with my wonderful past, with all of the major parts and players in my life who made-up the rich social tapestry of my teenage years. It truly is something that not everyone is lucky enough to have and I feel blessed, so very blessed, to have this life and you guys with whom to share it.

Merry Christmas, friends, family, brothers, sisters. I love you all dearly and I hope nothing but the best for you in the New Year. Eat that extra helping of turkey, be that much more giddy when you open your presents, and make each of your Christmas hugs that much tighter. I'll be at my house playing with my nephews underneath our West High Christmas Tree.

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