Spo-Reflections on the Grinch

The Christmas Season has officially opened with the conclusion of Thanksgiving. To set the season right, we have “Black Friday” which is a combination of orgiastic consumption of material goods AND the national angst people are not spending enough to boost the economy.

Anxiety and spending – the two pillars of Christmas.  

So while most of my neighbors are at the mall I am getting out “How the Grinch stole Christmas”. 

I fell in love with the Grinch early on in life. At first I liked it mostly for the clever, silly rhymes – who else was rhyming houses with mouses? In the annual watch of the TV show, we kids cheered the arrival of the Roast Beast and Who Hash.  

Over the years I grew to appreciate the basic concept of the Grinch – he is the anti-Santa Claus who comes down the chimney to take away Christmas and gifts. Clever. And he seems to be growing in popularity. I suspect some of this is Baby Boomers longing for childhood. But I also think the Grinch ‘hits home’ about removing the crap from Christmas.  When I was growing up it was verboten to even think, let alone voice, the negative feelings about Christmas –it is all too much and can’t we chuck it?

Thanks to the Grinch, the Shadow side of Christmas, voicing disdain for Christmas is not only out of the closet, but going strong.  

Over the years I have grown more empathetic towards the Grinch and his issue; Christmas can be one large ‘noise’, and the notion of having it all taken away for some peace seems reasonable.  

If there is anyone out there who hasn’t seen or read “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”, he is redeemed when Christmas arrives anyway, after he takes away all the decorations and presents. Then he gets the gist – the Christmas tinsel is superfluous to what Christmas really is.    

Still, we remember the Grinch in his pre-epiphany state. Thank you Mr. Grinch for allowing us to observe all the chaos and conclude: 

“Why, for 53 years I’ve put up with it now! I MUST stop Christmas from coming!  But how?”