Mall Memories

 

I’m feeling a tinge of regret this morning for being perhaps a bit dismissive of the upcoming celebration of the Mall in Columbia’s 50th birthday. I saw some photos online yesterday of truly cool stuff going on - - the new Pop-Up Library Van and also dancing lessons from Toby’s - - and it struck me that getting people together to celebrate is more than a public relations strategy. It’s also an opportunity for people to be together after a long time of being isolated due to COVID. 

Yes, everyone should still stay masked at this point but it is safe enough to come out and have some fun, and there’s something very therapeutic in that for many people. The healing power of legitimate fun cannot be underestimated.

And of course it can’t hurt if people come on down to the mall and spend money. That is the point, after all.

I got to thinking yesterday about my favorite Mall memory and wondering if other people had one, too. Way back when I first came to Columbia I had the rare opportunity to see my future husband at a gig. It was a very last minute gig. The tuba player had called in sick. So over to the Mall he raced and we came along a bit later. What we saw: Santa arriving at the Mall in Columbia for the holiday season heralded by a small brass ensemble: dressed as reindeer. 

They paraded all around the Mall playing seasonal classics. We followed. And giggled at the sight of these top-notch brass players in antlers. It was delightful. Epic, as the young folks say. 

It was a gig, as my future husband said. It very likely paid for groceries or a nice dinner. 

So that’s my favorite Mall memory. What’s yours? If I get enough I will use them for a future post. I think it could be both enlightening and fun. With some nostalgia thrown in. 

I daresay that many of my readers can recall this classic Mall moment, if only from video footage. 

One last Mall memory, although not in the Mall proper, is this.