Christmas lights

Today I found myself thinking about Christmas lights. Specifically the memories that colored lights can evoke. There’s a moment in the Feast comic strip when characters argue over the tasteful quality of white lights versus the old-fashioned multi-colored ones. I distinctly remember back in the ‘80's when the movement towards all white lights took off. The white lights just seemed more, well, tasteful. But when I think back to the wonderful Christmas's of my childhood they are bathed in the crazy quilt of colors given off by multi-colored strands. One color bulb in particular that just screams Christmas to me is blue. It instantly takes me back to my Grandmother Tinnell’s. She had those “candlabra” units in her windows and they gave off that soft beautiful blue. Reminded me always of the kind of blue you found in a Disney film or, better yet, on a Christmas card. Always seemed to me that that blue would be the one you’d find bathing the real-life Nativity, you know? And now, when I chance upon that blue, I am also reminded of my grandmother-you may have noticed I’m a guy whose memories are constantly being provoked by stuff like that. I have to admit I’d really love, just once, to do the old-fashioned colored bulbs again. Just to see how it would make me feel.


Buon Natale,
Robert Tinnell