24 December 1977

Merry Christmas!

We ran across this image this week. It brought back memories about the old Christmas Card Production ritual. Remember? The gathering of the clan, the photo-taking, address lists, writing the letter, printing at the photo-shop downtown, and finally the trip to the Post Office. Given the enormous changes in our world, it seemed a useful quotation on this day to what has changed in a half century.

Here is how it might have been if it was done as a Christmas letter from the past about the future.

“It’s 1977, picture taken in the House in Grand Rapids, Michigan! Dad is in the middle, former Naval Aviator and automotive stylist. Vic is on the left, his Brother on the right. He was white-water raft-guiding out West and taking law courses at the time. Seated, our sister is on the left, Mom on the right. Mom was a pretty Irish kid who fought her way to college and out of her Ohio River town to work in the Chrysler Building in wartime Manhattan. Sister married a gold miner in the mini-rush of renewed mining in the 1970s. She was a participant in the wild Gold-rushy Art Crowd movement in the 49th State. She was a dynamo but passed last year. Mom and Dad passed within hours of each other at the end of the holiday season in 2012. Angie the White Dog was a darn good one. We had a great 1978!”

If there was a “Christmas Letter” (another part of the holiday production ritual done on typewriters) it wasn’t digital and is long gone. This is the last card that was sent under the old rules from that family. There was talk that we could harness modern technology to bring a version of it back this year. It could include the families yet to come.

It would only take a few minutes on PhotoShop. We could add people, a new date, and perhaps a little motion and pop-up action with that new Adobe Express app. You know, people from another time waving to the ones in the future.

In the end, we decided this static version will suffice. One thing is exactly the same: We hope for a Merry Christmas this year, and that we share a happy 2023!

“The Folks”