Rant du Jour#2

Yeah well - I couldn't resist.
That just sounds too much like a Willie Nelson line....
(though I thought it up all by myself)

The topic du jour is money:
And if I had to deliver a one-minute monologue on the subject,
just what would I say?

I think we play a lot of peekaboo and tiddlywinks with money.
We appear to pretend that it's the root of all evil...
Or that it can't buy happiness -

On the other hand we tend to think it's everyone else that has a price...
- just not us.

There sure are a lot of homecooked philosophies about the stuff.
We love it, we hate it, we try to ignore it....we spend it, we lend it,
fight over it, win it, lose it...flaunt it, are haunted by it -

Charles Dickens wrote a charming little story: A Christmas Carol.
Which has been filmed a number of times, though the definitive version
of the story still seems to be the 1951 film with Alistar Sim as Scrooge.
(and what a wonderful job he did of portraying the grasping, clutching,
covetous old sinner!)

Everyone loves that movie.

Did you ever stop to wonder why? I used to think it was just because it's
such a good story - stands the test of time, and all.
Which is true enough.

However, I think deep down in my little doggie heart, there's entirely another
reason. A reason no-one ever talks about.
You see, by the end of the film, when Scrooge wakes up, and discovers he's
been haunted by all those ghosts, that came and went and did their thing -
and worked their magic on him, and converted and changed him, made a new
man of him, caused him to see the error of his ways and such....

Well, there's one thing that HASN'T changed about him, at all.
yep.
His money.

He's still got all that pile of cash, that he no doubt earned in hideous evil ways.
And he gets to keep it. Every last golden guinea, every ha'penny.

Imagine that.

Do you wonder if it's that little fact that causes the world to fall in love all over
again with the story?
I wonder....(roll over, Bernie Madoff)

I hate to be a spoilsport and everything, and pop that fuzzy bubble....
but I just wonder.....
(If there isn't a spot of truth in that, I'll retire to Bedlam)




Scroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooge...................