A Christmas Story

I just finished watching the TV Moive 'A Christmas Story' (you know the movie about the little boy who wants a b.b. gun for Christmas). While the movie is funny on many levels, one of the funniest levels is the character of Ralphie's father, affectionately called 'The Old Man' throughout the film, and played brilliantly by Darrin McGavin. The Old Man is the quintessential 1950's Midwestern American father, not the scrubbed up, flawless, and plastic fathers from "Leave It To Beaver" or "Father Knows Best." No, The Old Man is real...painfully and hilariously real!

The Old Man goes through life with an expression that is a mixture of equal parts disbelief, detachment, confusion and bemusement at his home life. Even though he is not a heavy drinker, he always seems to have a low grade hangover. And yet, in spite of this odd admixture, The Old Man is an integral part of the family and an integrated human being. He lives a full life. For example, he experiences great joy through his children (when he gives Ralphie the b.b. gun). But, The Old Man is no push over (remember when Ralphie uses a profanity in his presence). The Old Man is playful too (remember him bargaining for a Christmas tree). The Old Man is capable of great tenderness (the concluding scene with his wife) as well. The Old Man demonstrates sympathy for Ralphie (when Ralphie has been forced by his mother to wear a pink rabbit suit on Christmas morning The Old Man tells him to take it off). The Old Man is a survivor; he is adaptable and resourceful (as when the Bumpus hound's eat the Christmas turkey and he takes the family out for Peking Duck). Certainly, The Old Man can be a bit rough around the edges (remember the battles with the furnace and the imfamous lamp). The Old Man is a round and complex character and that is what makes him real.

Why does this matter? There are two messages in all this. First, there are people in all of our lives like The Old Man. People who can seem difficult or abrupt on the surface, but are solid gold at the core. We would all do well to remember that the shepherds to whom the angels appeared were probably folks just like The Old Man...salt of the earth and more than a bit salty!

Second, we ought to look in the mirror and recognize that (just maybe) we aren't as polished and dignified as we think we are. There is more than a bit of The Old Man in each of us.


Peace!