A much maligned character, we can all learn a lot from the Grinch.
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The popular film, based on Dr Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas may have been written in 1957 but its messages are just as strong today as they were at the time of writing.
On film the Grinch is responsible for some fantastic one liners that we can all chuckle at.
On the surface he is a horrible individual, has no friends, apart from his dog Max and spends his days wallowing in self pity and hate.
He may be a little, okay, overwhelming anti-social but the Grinch really does have Christmas covered.
In defence of the Grinch I’d like to present the following.
He is responsible for some great one liners including Hate, hate, hate. Hate, hate, hate. Double hate. LOATHE ENTIRELY!
But he, or the original book, is also responsible for:
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”
He said also: “Give me that! Don't you know you're not suppose to take things that don't belong to you?
And Cindy Lou’s mother put is succinctly when she told the mayor of Whosville after the Grinch stole Christmas.
“I'm glad he took our presents. You can't hurt Christmas, Mr. Mayor, because it isn't about the... the gifts or the contest or the fancy lights. That's what Cindy's been trying to tell everyone... and me. I don't need anything more for Christmas than this right here: my family.”
And in relation to excessive gift giving the Grinch himself delivers the following tirade:
“That's what it's all about, isn't it? That's what it's always been about. Gifts, gifts... gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts! You wanna know what happens to your gifts? They all come to me. In your garbage. You see what I'm saying? In your garbage. I could hang myself with all the bad Christmas neckties I found at the dump. And the avarice...”
And he goes on: “The avarice never ends! "I want golf clubs. I want diamonds. I want a pony so I can ride it twice, get bored and sell it to make glue."
Merry Christmas everyone and remember Christmas is about much more than gifts, especially bad neckties.
Andrew Fisher
