Christmas at Home in Appleton
December 27, 2008
Welcome to a little glimpse of our Christmas here in snowy and cold Appleton, Wisconsin. Aurora was initiated into the practice of getting up early to open presents.. in fact, it was Mommy who woke up Aurora! This kind of family scene is not the usual topic for an Old Roads Essay, but I want to extend the form into a more personal-essay style. For the second time I ended up leaving aside my own narrative voice.. and also for the second time I am not completely happy with the results. There is a string of associations that come up a little past the midpoint: The Polar Express, Luke chapter 2 on the birth of Jesus, and then a poem by Wallace Stevens. There is a thematic link in my own head.. but communicating this without providing some narration is difficult. On the other hand, this is an essay that does not require as much narration as some of my other videos, so I worry that my voice will be intrusive. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this family portrait.
