On Wednesday, we get to see A Christmas Carol! We've been acting in class all week and have briefly discussed the theme (or message) of this play. Regardless of what holidays you practice (or don’t practice, for that matter), I want you to reflect upon how the story’s message is important. This is not just a tale about Christmas, which is why people from all different backgrounds can appreciate the plot. It’s a story about selfishness, greed, change, and, ultimately, redemption.
There is a quote that says, “People are made to be loved and things are made to be used. The confusion in this world is that people are used and things are loved.” As a society, we tend to become so focused on the act of receiving. What can the world offer us? What is our reward going to be for completing certain tasks? We should instead ask ourselves these questions: What can I offer to others? Who matters most to me in my life and how do I show these people?
Ebenezer Scrooge, in A Christmas Carol, spent so much time obsessed with unimportant ideas, including the need to have money. Ultimately, though, he found that without love, gold had little value. People who were poorer than him in material possessions were richer than him in spirit. Bob Cratchit, an overworked and underpaid clerk of Scrooge’s, demonstrated this when he went home to his sick son, Tiny Tim, day after day but maintained a positive outlook. Not even the luckiest person has a good day every day, but I do believe the following simile holds a great deal of truth: “Life is like photography. We need negatives to develop.” The way we choose to respond to our challenges and successes speaks volumes about who we are.
Being a Scrooge in today’s world is unfortunately very easy. Greed, selfishness, and negativity, are all too common. Spend just five minutes on Black Friday in a crowded line behind an angry customer. Some people are more concerned with getting Uggs and Xboxes than they are with expressing their care for fellow human beings. Others need to constantly discourage others (Bah! Humbug!). It takes courage to be a Bob Cratchit in such a world; we need more folks who are selfless, hopeful, devoted, motivational, supportive, optimistic, caring, brave, and forgiving. Unfortunately, “Scrooges” try to silence these people. Their mission is to make others miserable as well. I hope that as you grow and mature, you choose to surround yourself with people like Bob Cratchit, and may you inspire the Scrooges of the world to save the drama for the stage. -Ms. Sanford
There is a quote that says, “People are made to be loved and things are made to be used. The confusion in this world is that people are used and things are loved.” As a society, we tend to become so focused on the act of receiving. What can the world offer us? What is our reward going to be for completing certain tasks? We should instead ask ourselves these questions: What can I offer to others? Who matters most to me in my life and how do I show these people?
Ebenezer Scrooge, in A Christmas Carol, spent so much time obsessed with unimportant ideas, including the need to have money. Ultimately, though, he found that without love, gold had little value. People who were poorer than him in material possessions were richer than him in spirit. Bob Cratchit, an overworked and underpaid clerk of Scrooge’s, demonstrated this when he went home to his sick son, Tiny Tim, day after day but maintained a positive outlook. Not even the luckiest person has a good day every day, but I do believe the following simile holds a great deal of truth: “Life is like photography. We need negatives to develop.” The way we choose to respond to our challenges and successes speaks volumes about who we are.
Being a Scrooge in today’s world is unfortunately very easy. Greed, selfishness, and negativity, are all too common. Spend just five minutes on Black Friday in a crowded line behind an angry customer. Some people are more concerned with getting Uggs and Xboxes than they are with expressing their care for fellow human beings. Others need to constantly discourage others (Bah! Humbug!). It takes courage to be a Bob Cratchit in such a world; we need more folks who are selfless, hopeful, devoted, motivational, supportive, optimistic, caring, brave, and forgiving. Unfortunately, “Scrooges” try to silence these people. Their mission is to make others miserable as well. I hope that as you grow and mature, you choose to surround yourself with people like Bob Cratchit, and may you inspire the Scrooges of the world to save the drama for the stage. -Ms. Sanford