Saturday, December 20, 2008

BE A SCROOGE THIS CHRISTMAS

I couldn’t resist sticking my head up from my hole long enough to share a yuletide thought.

Why is it that we call people “Scrooge” when they aren’t “Christmas people?” Far too often when we think of Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, we focus on the pre-visitation Scrooge, and we forget that it is a tale of redemption. Scrooge at the end of the story is what we should be focusing on. After all, Dickens tells us in his last paragraph that Scrooge was able to keep Christmas as well as any man.

By means of illustration, I’m posting the last two scenes of the 1951 movie version (my particular favorite), with a sublime performance by Alastair Sim. Watch them, enjoy, and resolve to be a real Scrooge this Christmas. Let the spirits of Christmas visit you.





Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m back to my blogging sabbatical. Happy Holidays to one and all.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

OBSERVING RADIO SILENCE

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything. Oh, I started a few posts, but always seemed to let them go when they were half-finished. When I couldn’t get around to finishing one on the continuing wit and wisdom of Paul Offit, I realized that maybe it’s time for me to take a little break.

There are still many things to be said. Every day something happens in our little corner of existence that I could spout off about. But there’s simply too much going on in my life at this moment for me to do this blog justice. So it’s time for me to take a little break. I’m not sure if I’m exercising selfishness by focusing on my family and myself, or if it’s really an act of selflessness by sparing you folks from my ramblings. In either event, I’ll be leaving . . . at least for now.

I will still be keeping up with the on-line autism world, and I’ll probably still be piping up every now and then. So this is not some melodramatic announcement of a retirement that will be rescinded in a couple of months. I’m just taking a little break.

Finally, in keeping with the season in which I am writing this: Merry Christmas to you and your families, and God Bless us, every one.