Book Of Likes Faces

OK, it's Saturday night and I don't have a date, no surprise there, so I'm going to fill some time by giving you your holiday season Ebenezer Scrooge history and meaning lesson.  One of the stories that we're all probably the most familiar this time of year is "Being: A Ghost Story of Christmas". In this day and age it is popularly referred to as "A Christmas Carol". Now I won't waste your time or my megabytes retelling the story, as I'm sure we are all familiar with the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, the stone hearted elderly miser and the supernatural change that he undergoes when he is visited by the spirits of the past, present, and future on the night of December 24th. But what I would like to do is calmpetition to the historical value of this story. The meaning of the word or the name Scrooge means an unkind and selfish person.
Published as a short novella, it first appeared in London after being published by Chapman and Hall on December 19, 1843. Think about that. That means Charles Dickens little ghostly warning about power of karma and the importance and rewards of human kindness  Is celebrating 178 years as one of the most enduring holiday classics of all time. Although its origins are in Great Britain, It is a story that has come to belong to all the world, and has been published in nearly every language around the globe. Originally illustrated by John Leech, it has gone from the print to stage productions , to radio adaptations, to countless animated and live action film and tvs. The haunting tale of Scrooge and his ghostly companions has even been told through music and on ice on stages and arenas all over the world. Now, I didn't type all this just to hear my head rattle. I put together this little history lesson to hopefully inspire you inspire you to think a little deeper about the value of this story and the values that it attempts to teach us. I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but I Think of a story hangs around for almost 200 years, it can be called timeless. I don't think a story hangs around that long if it doesn't have some value and something that we can glean from it. I personally watch it every yearikama and I listen to the radio adaptations from the thirties and forties, and I still think there are things I can learn from the story. For example, the story of Scrooge's broken engagement from Isabelle,  a story from his past, has now become a reminder to me not to neglect my relationships with the people I care for. What is your favorite part of the story? What have you learned the most from? Is there a particular character or spirit that you identify with? So pull up a chair, make some hot Cocoa and let's talk about a Christmas Carol. Oh, and if you have a favorite version of the story, feel free to share that as well. I have so many favorites I have enough to watch everyday in December. The Muppet Christmas Carol will always be my favorite.