Come in! And know me better, man!
[copying this post from Tumblr--I wasn't going to bother, but on second thought I feel it needs to be said here, too]
I LOVE A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Like, lifetime fan, can repeat quotes by heart, experienced the gamut of emotions reading it as a small child and find something new every time I go back to it.
It also has some horribly misguided fans. I’d like to apologize on their behalf and express my sympathy to those of you who have had this book used as a put-down or as a tool to force mandatory Christmas on you.
(Please note that Ebenezer Scrooge is extremely relatable, has reasons for being the way he is, and the absolute worst things that have happened to him in his life happened at Christmas.)
For my money, the message of this book is not:
-you must celebrate Christmas or you’re a bad person
-ambition is bad
-be a Christian or else
-selfish people go to hell
The important message I took away from it:
-Life is full of pain. I mean, FULL of it. Sickness and death and loss and loneliness and the cruelty of the people around you will hurt you. But that doesn’t mean the answer is “stop caring.” It’s a defensive move, to stop caring. But if you stop giving a damn about other people, and yourself, you’ll make everything worse. You CAN make a difference, make things better for people, have your life mean something good. When you die you die, but you can make a difference while you’re here. You matter-even the idle words you say have huge repercussions. And it’s also okay to allow other people to care about you. “My own heart let me more have pity on.”
[from the tags: Also Marley isn't in hell he's in purgatory I will fight you]
I LOVE A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Like, lifetime fan, can repeat quotes by heart, experienced the gamut of emotions reading it as a small child and find something new every time I go back to it.
It also has some horribly misguided fans. I’d like to apologize on their behalf and express my sympathy to those of you who have had this book used as a put-down or as a tool to force mandatory Christmas on you.
(Please note that Ebenezer Scrooge is extremely relatable, has reasons for being the way he is, and the absolute worst things that have happened to him in his life happened at Christmas.)
For my money, the message of this book is not:
-you must celebrate Christmas or you’re a bad person
-ambition is bad
-be a Christian or else
-selfish people go to hell
The important message I took away from it:
-Life is full of pain. I mean, FULL of it. Sickness and death and loss and loneliness and the cruelty of the people around you will hurt you. But that doesn’t mean the answer is “stop caring.” It’s a defensive move, to stop caring. But if you stop giving a damn about other people, and yourself, you’ll make everything worse. You CAN make a difference, make things better for people, have your life mean something good. When you die you die, but you can make a difference while you’re here. You matter-even the idle words you say have huge repercussions. And it’s also okay to allow other people to care about you. “My own heart let me more have pity on.”
[from the tags: Also Marley isn't in hell he's in purgatory I will fight you]