ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 24, 1996 TAG: 9612240050
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SANDRA TUCKER-MAXWELL
ONE NIGHT last week as I drove a friend around downtown Roanoke, looking at the decorations that festooned the lampposts and garlanded the huge tree near the First Union Building, I remembered decorations of the past in my hometown.
In the late '40s and early '50s, Christmas "yard art" was not as popular as it is today. In fact, it was considered just a bit tacky. Yet, it was beginning to gain ground, and I'd like to share with you the year I saw the first outside decorations that went far beyond a few lights strung over trees.
During the holiday season, it had become a tradition around our house that Mother, Daddy, my sister Nancy, Grandmother Burdiss and I would all pile into the car and drive around the city of Beckley, W.Va., looking at the sights.
"Window shopping" was big. You could drive down the main street and see a few extras. Generally these sights just consisted of myriad colored lights defining a doorway, perhaps a fancy wreath or two or, in the store windows, a lot of cotton to signify snow.
This year, however, on our evening ride during the holidays, we went up on Reservoir Road, and were very surprised by what we found in the front yard of a prominent Beckley citizen's home.
There, for all the world to see, was the representation of a child's bedroom, with a four-poster bed, a small table with a sparklingly decorated tree and, kneeling at the side of the bed, a life-size doll, her hands folded in prayer. We were so shocked that Daddy stopped the car right there, and we stared.
Suddenly, we heard a child's voice. Daddy rolled down the car's windows.
Piped to the outside by an elaborate wiring system, the ``child'' was heard praying: `` and, please, Dear Lord, keep my Daddy safe in Korea and bring him home to me for Christmas '' This was followed by a rendition of "I'll Be Home for Christmas," sung by a singer who was then popular.
For a long time we sat there, snow and cold blowing in the open window. Finally, after at least two prayers and two choruses of the song, we drove away.
It might have been tacky, but we went back year after year, until one Christmas the outdoor bedroom was replaced by a living room containing a decorated tree and the representation of a man in uniform beside which the child knelt, face upturned. How comforting to know that "Daddy" had come home.
It made for a very good Christmas that year!
Sandra Tucker-Maxwell of Roanoke is an administrative assistant at Newell Industries.
LENGTH: Medium: 54 linesby CNB