The Muckrake Mountebank

“I forgot.”

Two of the most disconcerting words in the English language. So much at stake in the muck and the rake…….

Frozen.

In the midst of the competition. Any which way and loose.

Competition makes strange bedfellows.

Provided one stays out of another’s

Bed.

Bedroom.

That is.

A pre-requisite.

Otherwise feelings, nothing more than feelings eek their way,

”In.”

Insidious really.

But not for the alert. The awakened.

At this time of year, fairies and elves become ever present in our holiday worlds……

The elf on the shelf moves at another’s whim.

To the fear and delight of the child who wonders where to find the little guy next.

Still. To others a creepy game of cat and mouse and watching the untrustworthy elves eyes as they move about the room.

The fairies, tooth and otherwise gain mystical access, depending upon the strengths and weaknesses of their “opponents.”

The tooth fairy, due to the loose and missing teeth of others, gains access, up until a certain age. When the believers begin to “un believe.” In the power of the purse. In the power of the “pull.”

Ouch.

Next we know we have dumped it out all over the floor…..forgotten where we mis placed our wallet, keys, socks and underwear. Life can get mighty drafty out there, at times.

Brrrrrrrrr.

It helps to know who your friends are. Lest the collateral damage and character assasination continues. On and on and on and on and on.

Especially, this time of the year, when spirits are expected to stay high and smiles even higher. To some, barely making it through the ceremonial first pitches of the holiday celebrations take their tolls.

To others, they base up, and charge the mound with the intensity of a person not willing to lose. At all costs. At any costs.

”IT DEPENDS.”

Upon what@?

There is an an age old verse that rings as true on the day of the birth of our Savior to this day, of potential dis-believing, un-believing. The: Stop believers

”If you believe, you will receive.”

His goodness.

Not the gamesmanship.

No one prefers to wake up with the headache of all headaches when Uncle Joe is belly laughing at the green expression on the faces of those he “beat” at last eves “Egg-no-palooza”. Gluwwein fest or spiked hot chocolate “pong”.

Believing in “quack-like” remedies this time of year can result in one face down in a mish mosh of egg nogg. Yuck🤕😵‍💫🫨🤮.

The ultimate facial for some.

The ultimate lesson in over indulgence for others.

There is a time and a place for cynicism.

On the eve when Santa Claus packs his sleigh full of hopes and dreams, directing the sleigh, cynicism is replaced with wonderment, new hope and wishful thinking. A child’s eye view of innocence’s and naïveté. Goodness and familial traditions.

A reconnection. A rebirth. A reminder of what and who is important. The rest is just, well,,

Egg nog.

Oh. The wonder of holiday traditions. Be they a beautiful week plus of eight straight days and nights or one beautiful night of anticipatory preparation for all thoughts to crystallize and clear.

He is born.

We are born in Him.

We have another opportunity to stand up tall.

To regard those we love and those we love less😉.

To do our very best to spread good cheer and good will.

In the face of the egg noggin’ noggins’ of noodles that make our head spin…..the rest of the year.

Instensely trying over and over to figure out why hatred exists. Meanness. Confrontation. Jealousy. Envy. All those things that rear their ugly heads in us and others the other 363 days of the year.

But for two glorious days for some. We are allowed to pretend that with the innocence of a child,

We can simply love one another.

As He loves us.

To feel the feeling of true and unconditional and fully accepted love of selves and each other.

That is a Christmas miracle.

We can partake in the mystery by bringing our best selves to the table. To the foot of the tree. Join hands. And be truthful and honest about our sincerity and intentions toward one another.

Only as He teaches us with the reminder of the re-birth of Jesus. Authenticity personified. No holds barred truth in the face of re-birth. A chance to not only dwell on the goodness He teaches us daily, but the dwelling of goodness over evil. It a beautiful happening.

We have enough time the rest of the year to engage in our personal games of white lies and shifty stories, in order to take the wrong way out.

The wrong path of character.

This time of year, we are not allowed to “forget.” No amnesia allowed. Not on Christmas Eve. Or any other eve of 363 days of the rest of the year.

We can remind ourselves daily. Goodness exists.It triumphs over evil. It makes little difference if others “do it your way”. Or do not.

You.

Do it your way.

Others may follow.

And others may not.

Follow.

When you follow as a disciple of the Lord and the stories of His Son. Never. Ever

Forget.

The beauty in the story of kindness and giving.

No forgetting allowed.

Science and medicine tells us. Amnesia. Exists.

Amnesia is a disorder where memory is disturbed. memory is lost. The amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or brain diseases. it can also be temporarily caused by the use of various sedatives, and hypnotize drugs. the memory can be either wholly or partially lost due to the extent of damages that was caused.(wk).

Only God Knows.

Retro-grade amnesia, antero-grade amnesia, media temporal, protein deficient amnesia. They all have a place in the world of

Forget.

Forgetfulness: Without memory.

To some this is a blessing.

To some this is a curse.

Theodule-Armand Ribot was among the first scientists to study amnesia. His studies gave important insight into how amnesia affects the brain. Henry Molaison also studied and changed the way people thought of memory.(wk)

The good news.

We learn from one another.

The bad news.

We learn from one another.

The best news.

We can share in one another’s glories and one another’s pain.

He wants us to practice being living, breathing beings of goodness and kindness to one another. He expects much of us. Not just on the eve of when the Savior was born.

Every Eve. When we give ourselves the opportunity to remind ourselves that goodness is kindness and our world has no place for evil!

Amen!