Anna Staniszewski

I guess a lot of towns have their mascots, but I had no idea that my town’s was a crazed, motorcycle-attacking wild turkey. Granted, I haven’t lived here very long, but it seems that Freddy the Turkey was a celebrity in these parts, and his stomping ground wasn’t far from where I live. Sadly, Freddy’s life came to a tragic end the other day when police were forced to put him down after he’d attacked yet another motorcyclist. What I think is amazing, though, is the outpouring of emotion that seems to have swept through the town as people have created a makeshift memorial in Freddy’s honor. I think this story about him in the Boston Globe illustrates what I’ve been realizing more and more: sometimes life is much more bizarre than anything a writer could imagine.