Ebby Kneeee Zzzzer…

groupy

futureghost present

Christmastime.  It is that time of the year, and as the snappy little song says… “Have a Holly, Jolly, Christmas…”

Well.  It is not all holly-jolly-fun-and-games, I’ll tell you.  I mean…there is the whole dark side to Christmas.  There is Black Friday, the Abominable Snowman, and of course… Scrooge.

Yes good old Scrooge.  The Crabby-Mean-Old Ebenezer Scrooge from  A Christmas Carol.

Tonight, we went to see a local production of the story… with lots of people we know.   It was put on by the folks with the Eaton Church of the Brethren. The play was very good.  And, given the fact that it was produced, directed, and acted… all with local talent. …. it was very well done and charming.

The entire cast did a Wonderful Job, led by Dr. Dick Mitchell, a veterinarian of iconic proportions in this land.  Dick played Ebenezer Scrooge.  He did it extremely well.  And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the little dude who played Tiny Tim.  His names is Franklin Filbrun, and he was terrific.

The play itself, of course, comes from the novella by Charles Dickens… which was first published in London on  December 19th in 1843.  The story details the personal transformation of that crotchety old Scrooge.  Thanks to visitations by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.

The old mean Scrooge, then turns into a gentler, kindlier man.  A good, and caring, and compassionate man.  Good Story.

But here’s the deal. The Ghost of Marley, and the Ghost of the Future, were spooky.  And some of the little kids took notice.  Heck… I was watching with squinty eyes.  I can remember the first time I saw this story… in the way a television cartoon.  I was scared back then of the Christmas Future Figure… and it was just an animation.  But I digress on the scary thing.

The point is… the focus here… is all about the self-examination, and subsequent transformation, which happens to Scrooge.  This is better than a good play.  It is a message.

If we take notice, it teaches us a lot, about living our lives with kindness, compassion, and love in our hearts.  Not only at Christmas, but all through the year.

Each day.  Doing little good things… when we can.  In our own unique ways.  And all those small acts of kindness.. will add up to a lifetime of consideration and benevolence.

I know that’s what I’m shooting for.  I sure as heck don’t want to see those spooky-dude in real life.

 

Goodness is about character – integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people.

—  Dennis Prager

If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.

— Albert Einstein