Monday November 26 – two Ghosts and the Boogeyman - Part Two

Charles Dickens, in his “A Christmas Carol”, wrote of three “ghosts”, the ghost of Christmas Past, the ghost of Christmas present and the ghost of Christmas yet to come. The second, the ghost of Christmas present was described thus: “It was clothed in one simple green robe, or mantle, bordered with white fur. This garment hung so loosely on the figure that its capacious breast was bare, as if disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice. Its feet, observable beneath the ample folds of the garment, were also bare; and on its head it wore no other covering than a holly wreath, set here and there with shining icicles. Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanor, and its joyful air. Girded round its middle was an antique scabbard; but no sword was in it, and the ancient sheath was eaten up with rust.”


Towards the end of this ghost’s visit with Scrooge, Scrooge noticed something peculiar and: "Forgive me if I am not justified in what I ask," said Scrooge, looking intently at the Spirit's robe, "but I see something strange, and not belonging to yourself, protruding from your skirts. Is it a foot or a claw?"

"It might be a claw, for the flesh there is upon it," was the Spirit's sorrowful reply. "Look here."

“From the folding’s of its robe, it brought two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable. They knelt down at its feet, and clung upon the outside of its garment.

"Oh, Man! look here. Look, look, down here!" exclaimed the Ghost.

“They were a boy and girl. Yellow, meager, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but prostrate, too, in their humility. Where graceful youth should have filled their features out, and touched them with its freshest tints, a stale and shriveled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them, and pulled them into shreds. Where angels might have sat enthroned, devils lurked, and glared out menacing. No change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity, in any grade, through all the mysteries of wonderful creation, has monsters half so horrible and dread.”

Prior to Thanksgiving I had begun to wonder whether I, or should I say we would have found ourselves under this spirits robe. I don’t believe that to be the case now.

You see, over this week of “Thanksgiving” I have witnessed, and been the beneficiary of a lot of peoples generosity. Starting with the Resource Fair for the Homeless, and Thanksgiving dinners five out of seven nights, including a virtual stampede of volunteers stepping over themselves (and occasionally us) to see that we had anything and all we wanted. I mean I have never seen so much volunteer service put forth by a community. Many, if not most, came from some religious setting, many, just out of the kindness of their hearts. On Thanksgiving Day itself, in the parking lot across from the ARCH, Individuals as well as Church groups were constantly parading in with food, and some with blankets and other assorted clothes. It has been said, and more than once, “it is impossible not to eat in Austin”, and from what I’ve been experiencing, that holds a lot of truth.

It is true, on a natural way of thinking, there could have been a lot more in the way of “coordination”, spreading the blessing over a longer time frame. But that is not the point. The point is people, for whatever reason “giving of themselves”. And there is no way any of us receiving can be thankful enough. Yet there are those who can only find their place under that robe. You see it in the faces all the day long. You hear it in the bitching and griping, ignorance and want.

"Spirit! are they yours?" Scrooge could say no more.

"They are Man's," said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased…”

I am finding, I believe WE are finding, we do not have to suffer the fate of ignorance and want. We are being provided for. Some may simply attribute this to “God’s” grace upon us. Others, our following the innate connection we have with the universe, and subsequently seeing things fall into place. I don’t believe it matters which you believe. It’s all the same. Only different methods and perspectives, but, it’s all the same. Yet I do wonder, as some have expressed, “it’s great to have this kind of outpouring at this holiday season, but what about the rest of the year?” I have no answer. I can only attest to what I have been seeing and personally experiencing, and something is working, and I’m not to overly concerned about the rest of the year. It will take care of itself when it gets here.

Continued