A Prairie Home Companion from American Public Media: First Person

Lights Under the Bar
by John Johnson
January 17, 2007

The other evening my son sat down beside me to watch the NFL game of the week. The first Thursday night game of the year. My son noticed a string of lights I had purchased that day from a famous box store not far from home. I always liked the big colorful bulbs and was tired of the small tree lights so I decided to buy the lights that we used to decorate our home with. As we sat there he commented that these were just like the tree lights at Grandpa's house. The ones that were installed under the downstairs bar that were always on. I had not thought of those lights for years. Maybe never thought of all those many years ago. And all of a sudden the game on t.v. didn't interest me. I reclined in my chair and I began thinking of the old home that I grew up in. I "walked" through each room. I "sat" in every chair. I "searched" into all the cabinets in the kitchen, the single bathroom and the garage storage shelves. I recalled the carpets in the house and all the flooring both upstairs and down. I "remembered" the african violet flowers mom always had lined along the south windows. She was so proud of the new blooms. I "heard" the doors open and the once familiar sounds the screen doors made when they opened and closed. I "mowed" the lawn once more. I "smelled" the flowers that my dad was so proud of. And best of all I "sat" with my mother and father once again at the kitchen table. The same place I sat with them years before. I suppose this whole trip took an hour or more and it has made me feel so very good once more to be in an environment that gave me so many wonderful memories. This makes me feel good that I can return to that wonderful place again any time I wish. That is a comforting feeling once again.

About the author:
I am a retired teacher. I grew up in Missouri and came to Colorado over 30 years ago. I am still coaching and have done so now for 37 years.