STEVE SMITH -- What’s Up?

This column was supposed to be the start of a Christmas tradition. In

the same way that former Daily Pilot editor Bill Lobdell would spend a

late November column thanking people, I planned to call about a dozen

locals, some notable and some not, and ask them what they wanted for

Christmas. At a staff meeting, I announced this idea to my editor,

Jasmine Lee, making the commitment public knowledge. On my list were

people such as Newport-Mesa Supt. Robert Barbot, Newport Beach City

Manager Homer Bludau and Bill Hamilton, world-famous restaurateur.

But two people changed all that.

The first person was a man about whom you should all know a little

more. John Campbell was just elected to the state Legislature, replacing

Marilyn Brewer in the 70th Assembly District, the odd one that includes

Newport Beach and its sworn enemies in South County. Campbell was the

first person on my list of notables and also the first person to reply.

Not surprising, considering that Campbell has made a good life over the

years taking care of customers in his various auto dealerships.

The question was simple: What do you want for Christmas? The answers I

expected ranged from world peace to a new tie.

But here’s what Campbell said: “I’d like more time. I still have a

business to run, and I’d like more time to take care of all that I have

to do now in the state Assembly. I’d also like more time to spend with my

wife, Catherine -- time to go out on dates, time to go out and have

dinner and see a movie. We’ve had very few date nights in the last six

months or a year, and I’d like some time for some of those. I’d also like

some more time to hang out and play football on the grass with my kids.

So more time to play with my kids would be good too. And time to just

read. I like to read historical novels, and I’d like more time to read

them.”

Time is becoming more precious than diamonds. In our Palm

Pilot-toting, cell phone-talking part of the world, we have set aside

less time to just sit and do nothing. I know some folks regard this as

unproductive, but that’s just not true. Just sitting and reading is

feeding our brains.

Chris Fewel understands the value of time. Chris resigned from a

position on the Costa Mesa Planning Commission so he could spend more

time with his family. And I have noted in this space that the honor and

pleasure of working earlier this year as a magazine editor for Dr. Laura

Schlessinger did not make up for the time I lost with my family.

Campbell knows the obvious, that we all have the same amount of hours

in each day. Yours and mine are the same as the president’s and the

pope’s. What we choose to do with those hours is the difference. I wish

Campbell well in his effort to find more time with his wife and sons.

I’ve got time on my mind more and more. Perhaps that’s a function of

age and getting to the point where statistically, my time left on Earth

is less than the time I’ve spent. There was a physical manifestation of

my time thoughts too. A week ago, I bought a beautiful old 1962 Bulova

watch. The watch is nice, but what attracted me was the self-winding

feature. No batteries to replace, no stem to wind. Just shake it and it

keeps perfect time. A watch that works all the time is now one less thing

about which I have to be concerned.

The other person who changed my mind about the direction of this

column was my remarkable daughter, Bean, who is 10 1/2. Walking two blocks to our car after the holiday program at Victoria Elementary School

on Wednesday night, Bean asked me, “Daddy, if you had one wish for the

world, what would it be?”

“Easy,” I replied. “Peace.”

“I would wish for joy,” said Bean. Then she paused. Her face lighted

up and she added, “Daddy, just think, if we both got our wishes what a

wonderful world this would be!”

That’s how it is with kids. Pure. Simple. Direct. I sometimes wonder

why we don’t include a few 10-year-olds on the Middle East peace

negotiating teams.

I wish you a Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas, peace, joy, many good

books and the time to enjoy them all.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer. Readers

can leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at (949) 642-6086.