Americans are amused with time travel. I can say that because of the popularity of “Back to the Future,” a 1985 American science fiction film that has remained popular. So popular in fact that there are “Back to the Future” II and III, with IV released in 2024. One writer described it as “combining elements of science fiction, comedy, romance, and earnest, goofy fun to become an endearing and eternal piece of popcorn entertainment.”
So, why are Americans fascinated with time travel? According to USA Today, “The fascination with time travel is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. It has been a subject of myth, literature, and science for centuries. While some people believe in the possibility of time travel, others remain skeptical. The debate continues, with discussions on forums and social media highlighting the ongoing fascination and skepticism surrounding the topic.”
Those of us that watch The History Channel should be versed in “worm holes,” “time bending” and the fact Albert Einstein said time travel was possible. Among Einstein’s equations are solutions that permit extraordinary structures known as closed time like curves. These are paths through spacetime that loop back on themselves, theoretically allowing an object — or a person — to return to their own past.
I am writing this because this past Saturday we watched two Hallmark movies, “Christmas at Biltmore” and “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas.” Both featured Kristoffer Polaha, who should know a little about time travel since he is in both movies. Both involve time travel, which got me to thinking, doesn’t everything we do involve a form of time travel?
Another of my Hallmark favorites, “A Christmas in Time,” is, you guessed it, about time travel. Caroline and I went downtown on Saturday for the Shop Small Greene activities. I cannot go downtown this time of year without my mind racing back to the hot peanuts from Woolworths, the lighted Christmas decorations on the poles that stretched across the street. Of freezing marching down Depot Street in the Christmas parade with the scouts and later as a member of the high school band.
I remember the smell of the new bicycles at Western Auto, the food cooking at the Transit Grill and Tipton’s. I remember all the cool Boy Scout items at Millers. As I have recalled many times before, Santa Claus at J.C. Penney’s was the real one!
I must add that those of us who grew up on the farm remember tobacco sales and the smell of the warehouse. This, too, is time travel. Tobacco sale day was exciting as it meant there would be Christmas presents under the tree.
My Dad would go to Broyles Feed Store and pay for the next year’s fertilizer. Kelly Broyles would always give me a pocketknife for Christmas. I still have them, and yes, I always picked out one of the more expensive ones.
We were at Co-Op when I was 3 or 4, and I was looking at tools. They had a 3-inch adjustable wrench I was fascinated with because it was my size. A gentleman who worked there asked if he could help me. I asked about the wrench, he told me to put it in my pocket and Merry Christmas. When we got home my Dad wasn’t too happy with me when I produced the wrench.
We drove back to the Co-Op and I had to point out the man who gave it to me. He confirmed that he had in fact given me the wrench, even though my Dad tried to give it back. I still have that wrench, too. Speaking of the Co-Op, they used to have a Christmas meeting program at Greeneville High School. They gave tickets for the drawing of gifts for children and adults.
I think I was 5 at the time, and I told them I didn’t want a child’s ticket, I wanted an adult ticket. I won a hammer, and I walked up and got it. I was always particular about that hammer and still am. Yes, I still have it and still use it.
Shanks Tractor, the local John Deere dealer at the time, had a Christmas program at, guess where, Greeneville High. I took their children’s ticket because they gave away the coolest toys ever — John Deere toys. I still have some, but many of mine were badly abused as they did a lot of backyard farming. The ones I have go under the tree each year.
When I was 5, my sister Gwen locked me out of the house and then stuck her tongue out at me through the window. I’m going to tell you, a toy John Deere tractor will break a window. The door got unlocked quickly and when my parents got home — well, I can’t really remember, but I think we both got into trouble over that one.
All this is a bit of time travel. When the old decorations I saved from my parents come out each year, it is bit of time travel for me as memories take me back. One of my trees is a silver tinsel tree because my grandmother had one. It’s here because it transports me back in time to some of my favorite childhood memories.
I bought some awesome old window candles in an antique shop in North Carolina, not because they bring back memories, but because each bulb has a halo. Everyone who sees them tells me they have never seen them before with the halos. They are a fun remnant of time when Christmas was simple and these were likely someone’s extravagant purchase to celebrate the season.
Saturday, we visited the General Morgan Inn to see the art exhibit. I have many memories there too, some as far back as when it was the Brumley Hotel. We went to the Greeneville Antique Market which I remember as Millers, the place where I got all my Cub Scout and then Boy Scout gear. That building, too, is a time machine for me.
On Saturday at the antique market Joe Kilday, Tom Lane and Kathy May were singing gospel hymns. I wondered why they weren’t singing Christmas carols, however, my father sang gospel all his life and for several years he took me along and I started singing too. That brought back memories of the past. That they cared enough to sing hymns was both nostalgic and special for me as I traveled back in time.
I enjoy antique stores for the same reason, I see toys I played with, music I listened to, clothes I wore, and much, much more. Vintage cars and historic buildings all bring back memories.
The ornaments on my large tree are a travel in time as they are from historic sites we’ve visited through the years. Near the top is a Christmas spider that my longtime co-worker Kitty Davis gave me one year. As I put it on the tree I couldn’t help but remember when Kitty, Valerie Totman Collins-Sharpe, and Susie Dugger would buy me fruitcakes because my ex-wife forbade me from buying fruitcakes. That explains why she is my ex-wife.
Speaking of fruitcakes, the first year I wrote this column I wrote one about fruitcakes. I will never forget all the fruitcakes that showed up in my mailbox and on my porch. A couple of them were vintage! My Mom always said, “any fruitcake is good if you soak it in rum.” I enjoyed fruitcake for a year. One lady ordered one from Texas for me. She paid a lot for that one. I’m thinking what I’m establishing here is that memories are a form of time travel.
I have picked up a lot of Coca-Cola Santa items over the years that I have included in my Christmas decorations. I have the later Coke polar bears too. These Santas take me back to the days in the 1930s when the soft drink manufacturer, took what had been a tall, gaunt figure to a spooky elf, transforming him into the Santa Claus who we all know and love today. Coke partnered with artist Haddon Sundblom to bring us this enduring image.
I have some Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeers on my tinsel tree and under it. You know that “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is a song by songwriter Johnny Marks based on the 1939 story “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” published by the Montgomery Ward Company. Gene Autry’s recording of the song hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts the week of Christmas 1949, forever cementing Rudolph to Christmas.
So now we know our modern Santa and Rudolph we all enjoy were merchandising polys by two major companies in the 1930s. While we go back to look at them, they have transcended time into our future. Time travel!
As I’m writing this, it is early Sunday morning, and I’m sitting here drinking coffee, Starbucks peppermint mocha, thank you, tis the season. My hair is sticking straight out, and I’m wearing my Grinch pajamas.
I am amazed at how popular the Grinch has become. During the annual Greeneville Christmas parade there are probably more Grinches than Santas. According to Wikipedia, “The Grinch is a fictional character from Dr. Seuss’s 1957 book, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”, who hates Christmas and tries to stop it by stealing all the presents and decorations from the town of Whoville. Ultimately, the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes when he realizes Christmas is more than just material possessions. The story has been adapted into several films, including a 1966 animated television special narrated by Boris Karloff, a 2000 live-action movie starring Jim Carrey, and a 2018 animated movie featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the Grinch.”
Some have written The Grinch is loosely based on Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” However, Theodore Seuss Geisel, Dr. Seuss himself, in a 1957 interview with Redbook said, “Something had gone wrong with Christmas, I realized, or more likely with me. So I wrote the story about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously I’d lost.”
The film adaptation with Jim Carry has remained very popular. I enjoy the animated one from 2018. Wikipedia says of the 2018 animated version, “The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $540 million, becoming the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time, as well as the highest-grossing Dr. Seuss film adaptation.” I will watch the entire film to just get to watch the credits. If you miss that part, then you missed the most fun part in my opinion. I’ve watched this one five times already and the Jim Carry one twice so far this year.
There are so may adaptations of “A Christmas Carol” and they are all good. I especially enjoy the one with George C. Scott as Scrooge. To warm up the season I always start with “The Man Who Invented Christmas” the story of Dickens’ struggle to write the classic carol. These too are travels in time for multiple reasons.
Of Dickens I must say that George Blanks will have his annual reading of Dickens for the 64th year next week. That is a great couple of evenings with food, fun and yes, time travel!
The Capitol Theatre will be showing Christmas classics in the coming weeks. There is nothing better than a box of popcorn, a Coke, and box of candy in the historic theater. Did I mention this is a form of time travel?
As you’re reading this, the Heritage Trust Early American Christmas Dinner and the Friday evening Christmas kickoff are history. Check the schedules for today and make some memories and time travel a bit.
Sunday is the annual Christmas parade. It, too, is steeped in nostalgia and yes, a journey in time. Sunday afternoon from noon to 4 p.m. will be the Crockett Christmas celebration at the State of Franklin cabin across from the Greeneville Town Hall.
We had a lot of folks stop by last year. We will again have the period Santa and photo opportunities. Come see the Cabin as the Crocketts would have celebrated in the 1780s. There will be cider, and cookies. You can even pick up that Crockett T-shirt and other great stocking stuffers from the parks Friends group.
Christmas is such a special season and one that takes us back in time as we celebrate in the future. There is so much to take part in that is, for us, a travel in time. When someone asks what you did today, just tell them “We traveled back in time.” Time travel is a fun part of our Trailing the Past.
