I grew up in a small town in the south-eastern United States. I used to walk to the drug store to buy ¢25 candy bars, or get donuts at the donut shop across the street from my Grandparents’ house and then sit all day in the air-conditioned Paramount movie theater to watch showings of ‘The Blob’ looped over and over. On main street, there was this great neon sign that held an incredible fascination for me. It was a giant sign that read: “Hokus Pokus Liquor”. I wasn’t really sure about the liquor part, but I did know that hokus pokus was somehow related to magic! At night, the ghost on the sign danced from left to right and all the lights blinked in an entrancing show that really was magical!
Years later, I drove thru my home town and the sign was still there. Unfortunately, the lights didn’t work anymore and I’m not sure if today the sign still hangs. But what a great memory of being hypnotized as a kid by the Hokus Pokus light show, as I would ride past in the back seat of my aunt’s station wagon!
🙂
