What Scrooge Did.

So, as many of my friends and relations know, the Fat Kid considers himself a little bit of an actor - which is to say that I get on stage every once in a while for something fun to do. About two weeks into most rehearsals, I then realize why I never tried to become a professional actor. It seems many actors audition, get excited, and then spend the rest of the rehearsal period complaining about the show they were so psyched about...only to go and audition for a new show immediately after, and the cycle repeats itself. The cure? A show with only 2-3 rehearsals, one performance, and that's it.

I was lucky enough to engage in such a show for the last two evenings. Yes, one evening of rehearsal, one evening of performance. It was rediculously brilliant, by which I mean that its brilliance was in its rediculousness! The "Ten Minute Scrooge (with apologies to Mr. Dickens)" was nothing but the most famous lines from arguably the most famous seasonal work squished together. No frills, two props, 18 parts, and about 10 people - all having fun on a makeshift stage. My parts: gentleman solicitor #2, Fezziwig, and Joe - one of the merchants at the end...along with playing a bed, a doorway, a gravesite, and a ghost. You know - your average Thursday night. To say the least, it was slightlier more comedic than Dickens's original intent, methinks, but it was all wonderful.

But there are two things I took from this:
1) The Christmas pageant. GO. SEE. ONE. Or six. Why? Because whether it's through a church, a community theatre, a children's school, or even a professional grade full-scale production, it's worth it to laugh, cry, whatever. It kinda goes along with yesterday's post, too, of supporting your community.
2) An often-read passage - and even more often over-looked phrase in Dickens's tale is what Scrooge did when he awaoke Christmas morning. Everyone remembers that he told the street urchin/child/boy to go and get the turkey/goose hanging in the poulterer's place, and had that feast sent to Bob Cratchit's house. Everyone also remembers that he sought out the two gentlemen trying to raise funds for the poor, and he gave them a large amount of cash, saying that " a great many back payments" were included. Everyone remembers that he was telling everyone "Merry Christmas." But do you remember what else Scrooge did? He went to Church.
Before you get the idea that I'm telling you to go to church, let's look at this as a theme in literature only. The Grinch. Any holiday film on the Hallmark Channel. Probably any holiday film on ABCFamily, too. Charlie Brown's Christmas. Rudolph. Frosty. The Santa Clause. You name it - just about every single Christmas/holiday special or story has one common theme: someone messes up, and they must repent.
Whether you have a religious influence in your life, or whether you've wronged someone - repent during this holiday season. Ask for forgiveness from your god, from your friends, from your family. And if forgiveness is asked of you, I encourage you to give it freely, whether or not you've gotten it from others. Repent from the heart, forgive from the heart. The only requirement is that you mean it.

Thanks for reading.

The Fat Kid