They make the movie.
Well no. Clark makes the movie. But…
Todd and Margo are the opposite of Clark so they go a long way in highlighting just how Clark Clark is…that added context makes the Griswold clan seem all the more kooky and laughable. And the kooky and laughable is what defines the movie.
Context, proximity and juxtaposition are key factors for how others experience and define you.
All the best to you during your Christmas Vacation.
I grew up in rural Minnesota where there were a lot of farms and farmers. My family was not a farming family but we knew lots that were.
People farmed all sorts of things…beans, corn, chickens, pigs…and dairy cows.
I remember having a band rehearsal at my friend Kurt’s house and afterwards drinking a glass of milk as he pointed outside at the cow where it came from.
The cows gotta get milked. Every day.
So when Christmas rolls around it doesn’t do much good to try and explain to them how you’re going out of town for a week. The cows don’t care that it’s Christmas.
But luckily for the cows, the farmers knew this a long time ago when they committed to being dairy farmers. So the cows get milked on Christmas…no complaints, it’s not a surprise, that’s part of the deal.
If you want a different deal, better to sell the farm than try to negotiate holiday scheduling with the cows.
There’s a lot of secret family recipes being whipped up this time of year.
The best thing about the secret family recipe is that it’s called the secret family recipe.
And the point of the secret family recipe is to simply enjoy it, not guess what the secret is.
The secret cookie recipe, the soup, the cocktail, the sweet potatoes…maybe it’s just the recipe on the back of the box or bottle or maybe it’s truly a secret and never been written down and only passed down verbally to the oldest child in the family.
In any case if you have a secret like this, no need to hold onto it for fear that someone might figure it out or steal it. But rather, share it so that others can have the joy of enjoying (rather than knowing) the secret.
Why don’t we just exchange certain amounts of cash at Christmas? It would be much more efficient for everyone.
Because it’s the thought that counts. And the best gifts aren’t concerned with efficiency.
It’s the thought that takes it out of the transactional and into the creative and emotional…i.e. into connection. And as always it’s the connection we long for. To be seen, to be thought of and to be that for others.
Keeping up with…
News
The Jones’
The Kardashian’s
Politics
Fashion
Football
The first couple things to consider are…what is the prize for keeping up? And do you want that prize?
But much more important than ‘what are you keeping up with’ is…
What are you leading the charge for?