The Heroism of Scrooge

I recently saw a reproduction of Scrooge, as no doubt many of us have, and will again, but in keeping with the times, I related this matter to contemporary issues and found myself marveling at a revelation. I'm sure you will enjoy it with me.

Scrooge, at his worst, was not a villain. Rather, he was a man pressed by the direst circumstances, brought on by the love he had of his fellow man.

This icon of humility, and good will, loaned money at usurious rates, when no one else would trust the capital of a promise, instead of the collateral of hard assets.

He, unlike so many others of the time, felt in the deepest part of his heart, that mankind was worth the benefit of a doubt, when poor old women, and crippled old men, and hungry widows with seven and a half mouths to feed, along with fathers, distraught to the brink of madness, given their need for a bit of capricious fun at the cost of measuring quality against quantity, whereas the ejaculant knows no mercy, I say Scrooge was a benefactor to all!

Without question, this man of true worthiness, harkened to the higher calling, when one's word, was an oath never offered, or taken lightly. Scrooge was a prince.

In comparison to him, so were the bankers, found wallowing in the mire of their own good graces, when they loaned out money to those, who like Scrooge's aspirants, were found either unwilling, or unable to pay what they promised they would.

Are our bankers then to be held accountable, and thus vilified? I say nay! I say homeowners, who had no right to be homeowners, but rather mere apartment, or room dwellers, should be the ones held to account. They incurred the debt; they toppled the icon-like edifice of the banking institutions, which stood for good will towards all.

Yet, in retrospect, when compared to Scrooge, they, too, aspired to that higher calling. They, too, judged not the wearing at the elbow, the frayed collar, and the holes in the soles of the shoes. Instead, they looked into the eyes, saw the yearning to be anyone but them, and lamenting in kind, the wallets opened, and the lesson of Scrooge is a lesson to all.

Be not so kind, as he, lest you, too, should be visited by Jacob Marley, and hounded by the ghosts of Christmas's to come!