Oh deer! Christmas is here.
Well, kind of.
For those of us creative entrepreneurs and niche small business owners, Christmas is something that is always on our minds to some extent. This is largely due to the fact that the designs for ornaments, wrapping paper, coffee mugs, and other gift related ideas have to be imagined, created, produced, shipped, packaged, and sold by early December. It's a timeline we have to keep on our radar constantly. But it also keeps us on our toes. Speaking for myself, this aspect of my business helps keep my eyes and mind open to possible points of inspiration all year long. Which is nice, because it always helps to have some whimsical, joy-filled, Christmasy thought tucked away somewhere for a rainy day.
Whimsical sentimentality with a sprinkling of joy is my brand for the most part, and I drew heavily on those things for the latest addition to my "Merry In Mobile" Christmas collection. So here it goes, the design for this year features THAT deer.
Now, if you've lost your childlike sense of wonder, you may have ceased to notice his presence in a certain shopping center off Airport Boulevard. I'll admit, I've had some no-nonsense days where I'm so busy running errands (and even stop at the atm/depository near his rear) that I completely fail to see him. It seems impossible that this could be the case when he is probably 10 times the size of a real deer and situated in a very prominent location on arguably the busiest road in our city. But nevertheless, I can tune him out, and I don't think that's a good thing; because it means that on that particular day or month I've likely been taking myself too seriously, been too busy, and have had a head so full of worries that I haven't been appreciating the simple joys all around me: flowers in bloom, a stranger taking the time to hold a door for me or making a space for me to merge into traffic, friends enjoying a walk together, kids playing in the front yard, birds building nests, fluttering butterflies, a cat purring in the sun, and a giant deer sculpture situated on a bustling road just because.
But hey, maybe that's the point of his existence - to be such a shocking thing to see in that particular location that the mere sight of him jolts passersby out of their stress, frustration, ho-humness, and ennui that they're encouraged to smile and have their mind fixed on something as silly as a deer sculpture in the middle of town for a bit. He is one of my favorite works of public art for this very reason. Sometimes good art makes us think, but I believe the very best art makes us smile.
This ornament design is nostalgic for me in that, as a kid, I was always on the lookout for "the deer" as a kid. When I saw him, I knew where I was. So for me, he will remain one of Mobile's beloved landmarks. And if you've grown up here, I bet he served as compass of sorts for you as a child as well. Maybe he still does.
Were you ever held hostage for the day by your mom on one of her urgent, must-get-everything-done-by-today Christmas gift-buying sprees? If so, you probably felt the same as I did that your one glimmer of hope that day would be seeing if "that deer" had been transformed into Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer yet. And if you did see him sporting that big red nose, then you probably smiled to yourself knowing that the holiday season had officially begun (and maybe running Christmas errands wasn't so bad after all). You probably have your own connections to him and can tell your own "that deer" stories. Maybe you haven't thought about those memories in a really long time. In that case, I hope the reminder of him brings you joy. If you're new around here or have just never noticed him, let this be your sign to "stop and smell" the deer.
Shop the "That Deer" Ornament
Merry Christmas, y'all!
Whitney Hornbuckle