October 23: So Resolute, Christmas Humour To the Last

"I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute.  We have never had any quarrel, to which I have been a party.  But I have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and I'll keep my Christmas humour to the last.  So A Merry Christmas, uncle!"

You gotta love Fred, Scrooge's nephew.  He never lets anything get him down, even his uncle's insults and barbs.  Fred simply looks at Scrooge and says, "Yeah, well, Merry Christmas, you old bastard."  (I'm paraphrasing loosely here.)  Fred remains the embodiment of good Christmas cheer, the antithesis of Ebenezer Scrooge.

As you know, I have been struggling with my Scrooge-ness this past week.  I have been making a concerted effort to remain positive in my dealings with this crappy world.  (Whoops, a little slip there.  Sorry.)  For the most part, I have been successful.  I have embraced my inner Fred.  But it's so much easier to be Ebenezer, and more fun at times.

Sit, Ubu, sit...

For instance, I could make some pretty disparaging comments about the fact that NBC released a poll yesterday saying that the presidential race is virtually tied, 47% Obama to 47% Romney.  (That means almost half of Americans polled think it's OK to drive a thousand miles with your pet dog strapped to the roof of your car in a kennel.  Yes, I went there.)  But I'm not going to do that.  I'm Fred.

I could also say something fairly negative about Paul Ryan's personal best marathon time, which he got wrong by almost two hours.  I won't.  It was an honest mistake.  I'm Fred.

I could include one of my favorite Mitt Romney quotes:  "I'm not familiar precisely with what I said, but I'll stand by what I said, whatever it was."  But I'm not going to do that.  And I'll stand by what I say.  I'm Fred.

It's not easy being eternally positive, but it is rewarding.  Just ask Fred.

Saint Marty is the eternal optimist.