Hey, what’s the big idea?
Oh, that’s the thing all lit up in Oxford Village resident Greg Jorgensen’s front yard at the corner of Dennison and Hudson streets.
Using a 5-gallon bucket, some plumbing supplies and an array of pre-programmed LED lights, Jorgensen put together an eye-catching holiday display that’s as unique and colorful as its creator.
Although some folks, according to Jorgensen, think it’s a hot air balloon, it’s not.
It’s actually a light bulb.
‘I really enjoy celebrating the holidays, but I don’t think we all share the same belief systems, so I thought I would put something out there that I do believe in,? explained Jorgensen, an inventor and self-described ‘freethinker.?
He even created a Facebook page ? entitled ‘The Big Idea? ? for the display. It explains how the light bulb is the ‘universal symbol for ideas.? The flashing colored-lights that travel through the display ‘represent synaptic sparks. Thoughts. Ideas. Ideas that shed light on the workings of the universe.?
‘Being an inventor myself, I believe that thoughts and ideas have brought us to where we are today,? said Jorgensen, who has a degree in mechanical engineering and has lived in Oxford for about 25 years.
‘We’ve come a long way from scratching for roots out in the Serengeti Plain to this wonderful technological world that we live in. Infant mortality is down. Life span is up. Food supply is safe. Medical breakthroughs. The world just keeps getting better.?
Jorgensen wished to make it clear that his display is not intended to belittle others? faith in a higher power or become a source of divisiveness.
It’s merely intended to serve as an expression of his personal beliefs.
‘You don’t have to bash anybody else’s beliefs,? he said. ‘The light bulb, to me, (is) a message (about) what I do believe, not a message about how anybody else is wrong.?
‘I really enjoy celebrating the holidays and ideas are what I celebrate,? Jorgensen noted. ‘The world’s just a wonderful place because of (ideas).?
Not only does the display allow Jorgensen to express his philosophical convictions, it also gives him an outlet for his artistic side.
‘An inventor is just an artist trapped in an engineer’s body,? he said.