Happy Holidays! – One-Shot Story

Growing up in the 40’s and 50’s, I developed an enduring love for everything Mid-Century Modern. Including Christmas decorations. During the 31 years that Kate and I lived in Winchester, Mass., I passed the above holiday display every December night on my way home from work.

Today’s colored LED strings wrapped around bushes, trees and houses are great for brightening long dark winters. But that wacky sign on an old stockade fence exuded colorful Mid-Century quirkiness and joy. Yes, it was missing a few bulbs! But I still loved it to pieces.

It was also the first beautiful thing I saw one cold winter night in 2011, after an out-of-control Cadillac “boat” rammed my Subaru Outback head-on, spun it a full 360 degrees, pushed it backwards 60 feet, continued accelerating down the road 200 feet more before finally running into a tree – and in the process, crushed my car into a washing-machine-sized block. From which I crawled with nothing more than a bruised knee.

At this writing, Kate and I left Winchester 10 years ago. And if we’re ever in town again around Christmastime, I’ll try to recapture the image with a better camera. If the sign is still there. But if it isn’t, that’s OK. This memory from a great low-light Fuji FinePix F31fd can still brighten dark winter nights.

Happy (and Safe) Holidays Everyone!

–Dave Powell is a Westford, Mass., writer and avid amateur photographer.

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