When the leaves fall, the air turns crisp and the unmistakable verbiage spews forth over the air waves, we know that the winter holidays are upon us. The lyrics were written by Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, the music was composed by Albert Hague, and the song was performed by Thurl Ravenscroft for the tv special How the Grinch Stole Christmas, based on the book that was published in 1957.
“You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch.
You really are a heel.
You’re as cuddly as a cactus.
You’re as charming as an eel.
You’re a bad banana with a greasy black peel.”
How the Grinch Stole Christmas was a staple in my childhood as I would sit before the tv and immerse myself in the tale of a creature bereft of caring and compassion for others. He figured that if he was going to miserable, he might as well see to it that everyone was going to be. That included the Whos, delightful beings who lived in the village below his mountain peak cave that he shared with his poor, put upon pup named Max. The Whos celebrated Christmas to the fullest, with food and merriment and gifts galore. The Grinch had no patience for the feasting and festing and wanted to keep Christmas from coming. As the story proceeds, he crafts a Santa suit that barely covers his fuzzy green self, makes antlers for Max and compels him to trek down the mountain into Whoville, pulling an empty sled. When he arrives on Christmas Eve, he slithers and slides down chimneys, creeps around Who-homes and swipes trees, food, gifts and decorations, bringing them back up the mountain to the tip top of Mt. Crumpit to send the contents of the sled hurtling over the precipice. What stops him is the early Christmas morning singing of the Whos, who know that the holiday is more than the items the Grinch purloined, but rather, the love and community of family and friends it brings together. When he heard ‘the Who Christmas sing,’ it was said that his shriveled up heart ‘grew three sizes that day’. With that, he came whizzing down the mountain to deliver everything back. Even as a child, I wondered how he knew which houses to return which items.
The Jim Carrey version explains how the Grinch became so…well, Grinchy. He was ridiculed because of his appearance and felt abandoned. he didn’t know how to love and sought revenge against those he felt had mistreated him.
In current times in the ‘real world,’ it could easily be said that we have our own version. His skin is orange instead of green (not because he was born that way as was the Grinch in all his greenness.) and his metaphorical heart is smaller than it could otherwise be if he had a different upbringing. His childhood groomed him for what we are seeing now. His message to the country about how to circumvent the impact of the Tr*mp induced tariffs is to practice austerity.
“You can give up certain products. You could give up pencils. Because under the China policy, every child can get 37 pencils. They only need 1 or 2. They don’t need that many. You always need steel. You don’t need 37 dolls for your daughter. 2 or 3 is nice.” This from a man who wants everything he sees and touches to turn to gold.
Many families who celebrate the winter holidays are finding the price of groceries to be beyond their comfortable reach. Food pantries have seen an increase in visits and communities are doing food drives. Two events I attended in the past few months have requested that people bring non perishable items that were donated to food pantries. My friend Gary who is celebrating his 70th birthday has asked folks to donate to Philabundance, rather than give him gifts. This organization which was founded in 1984 provides food for folks in the Philadelphia area.
The current occupant of the Oval Office claims that the economy is thriving, despite all evidence to the contrary and the polls which indicate a dissatisfaction with the state of the union and his being at the helm.
What will it take for his heart to expand, even one size? Mixing fictional metaphors, I envision a late night visit from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, oh and Jacob Marley, with chains rattling. They remind him of the impact of his choices on the world and in order to experience the same redemptive arc as the Grinch and Ebeneezer Scrooge, he needs to do the same kind of soul searching that he has likely never done.
Fun trivia fact. In the Billy Murray led film Scrooged, he utters a line: Frank Cross: “Well, this is nice. Where are we, Trump Tower?”
My prayer is that he will find his way toward putting (more than) a little love in his heart.
Merry, Happy Everything, with ‘Whoever’, however and whatever you celebrate.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: Unsplash
