When Elves Took Over an Abandoned Gas Station

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July 30, 2023

a project of ServiceSpace

It is quite possible to leave your home for a walk in the early morning air and return a different person - beguiled, enchanted.

- Mary Ellen Chase -

When Elves Took Over an Abandoned Gas Station

"I'm a sucker for enchantment, , especially when it arises from unlikely places. By a year and a half into the pandemic in the fall of 2021, I had become increasingly frustrated by the incursion of scientific measurement into daily life, from never-ending COVID testing to forehead thermometer readings. As valuable as such tools can be, I longed for my daily life to be filled with more of the unquantifiable mystery that fills our world, even if we only notice it in exceptional moments. Following the alchemical experience of losing my father early in the pandemic, I was inspired to learn more about my ancestors. Seated at my home computer, I began a genealogical investigation that eventually took me to three continents. I relished my meandering online journey, pausing to appreciate the storied lands of the Celts, the fantastical creatures that populate their folklore, and the enduring belief in them among modern people. I did not expect to encounter these legendary creatures on my city block in Somerville, Massachusetts..." Kaitlin Smith shares more about sowing enchantment in a Boston suburb. { read more }