1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,260 Hey folks welcome to episode 8 of a pebble in a pond podcast 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Merry Christmas everybody and 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,460 Happy holidays if you know if you don't celebrate Christmas 4 00:00:11,220 --> 00:00:16,240 And whatever else you do celebrate happy that or marry that or whatever it may be 5 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:19,840 Just in general. I hope you're doing well 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:26,200 We're gonna start this episode off a little bit differently than really any episode probably 7 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:33,180 I'm gonna go ahead and as as many of you know, I usually do quotes and things like that throughout the episode 8 00:00:33,180 --> 00:00:35,180 We're gonna start this one with a pretty long one 9 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:37,520 We'll just go ahead and 10 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:43,680 We'll start it with one of the most Christmas things you can do. This is perhaps the most famous Christmas poem of all time 11 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,520 It's a little long, but it's worth it 12 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:55,640 Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse 13 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:02,040 The stockings were hung by the chimney with care and hopes that st. Nicholas soon would be there 14 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:07,560 The children were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of sugar plums 15 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:09,960 danced in their heads and 16 00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:15,800 Mama and her kerchief and I and my cap had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap 17 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:22,160 When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter. I spring from my bed to see what was the matter 18 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:28,000 Away to the window. I flew like a flash tore open the shutters and threw up the sash 19 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:34,560 The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow gave the luster of midday to objects below 20 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:41,960 When what to my wandering eyes did appear but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer 21 00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:48,280 With a little old driver so lively and quick. I knew in a moment. It must be st. Nick 22 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:54,280 More rapid than eagles his corsers they came and he whistled and shouted and called them by name 23 00:01:54,840 --> 00:02:01,960 Now Dasher now Dancer now Prancer and Vixen on Comet on Cubid on Donner and Blitzen 24 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:08,600 To the top of the porch to the top of the wall now dash away dash away dash away all 25 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:14,360 Dash away all as dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly 26 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,860 When they meet with an obstacle mount to the sky 27 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:24,400 So up to the housetop the corsers they flew with the sleigh full of toys and st. Nicholas, too 28 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,960 Then in a twinkling I heard on the roof 29 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,600 the prancing and pawing of each little hoof as 30 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:38,280 I drew in my head and was turning around down the chimney st. Nicholas came with a bound 31 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:45,200 He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot a 32 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:51,160 Bundle of toys he had flung on his back and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack 33 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:59,440 His eyes how they twinkled his dimples how merry his cheeks were like roses his nose like a cherry 34 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:06,640 His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow and the beard of his chin was as white as the snow 35 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:13,640 The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth and the smoke and encircled his head like a wreath 36 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:20,200 He had a broad face and a round little belly that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly 37 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:28,360 He was chubby and plump a right jolly old elf and I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself a wink of his 38 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:33,680 Eye and a twist of his head soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread 39 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:39,100 He spoke not a word but went straight to work and filled all the stockings 40 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:44,200 Then turned with a jerk and laying his finger a side of his nose 41 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:49,060 Giving a nod up the chimney he rose he sprang to his sleigh 42 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:54,360 To his team gave a whistle and away they all flew like the down of a thistle 43 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,480 But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight 44 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:02,480 Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night 45 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,000 for those of you that don't know me that well and 46 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,480 have just found me either on tik-tok or on 47 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:12,440 any of the socials or on 48 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,040 just on the podcast I 49 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,360 feel like I should give a 50 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,040 warning for the rest of this episode and 51 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:25,400 For full transparency. I am NOT as they would say jolly 52 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:27,520 I'm not somebody who necessarily 53 00:04:29,280 --> 00:04:31,280 enjoys everything about this holiday 54 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,320 that being said I 55 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:38,520 have tried very very hard for the past week to 56 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:44,440 Build up to where I can make this episode enjoyable and fun 57 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:47,560 We are gonna touch on some of the bad stuff. We are I 58 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,100 Promise I know I've said that in a few of my other things 59 00:04:51,100 --> 00:04:56,640 We are gonna touch on a little bit of it just because I want people to understand what the holiday means to everybody 60 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,240 in terms of that 61 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,560 But I promise you 62 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:07,080 It's not gonna be all depressing and stuff. I just just give it a listen and give me a chance 63 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:10,800 As far as that poem goes I 64 00:05:11,840 --> 00:05:18,960 Can't think of anything more Christmas than that and for me. I can't think of any other any better way to start this episode 65 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:20,960 So without further ado 66 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:49,960 Here's the music 67 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:55,480 So we're gonna start this episode with a story of my youth my childhood 68 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:02,040 I will preface the story by saying I am NOT 69 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:08,640 It is one of those stories when you look back and you realize is how silly you were how stupid you were as a kid 70 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:10,640 but I 71 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:13,360 Don't know a lot of people who are 72 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:20,280 I haven't heard a lot of people tell this story before so I guess it's not a universal childhood Christmas story 73 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:22,480 but I 74 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:27,160 Don't I really don't remember how old I was I want to say I 75 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:33,080 Was probably about seven or eight when this happened. I was let's put this way 76 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,080 I was old enough to know better 77 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:37,080 I was old enough to know better 78 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:39,080 I was old enough to know better 79 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:47,080 But I was I apparently didn't this is also a story just so that we this is like the start of my super villain arc 80 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:49,080 right here, so 81 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:51,640 When I was a kid 82 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,640 You know my my parents especially my dad at that time 83 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:57,360 My dad was the kind of dad that 84 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,160 enjoyed buying toys and 85 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,160 That that transaction was a little bit of a pain in the ass 86 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,160 I was a little bit of a pain in the ass 87 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:11,560 I enjoyed buying toys and that that transferred to me. He enjoyed going out and buying me toys 88 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:17,280 It was because he got to play with them right like it was that was fun for him 89 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,980 And so it was one of those things where Christmas 90 00:07:21,980 --> 00:07:28,580 I mean our Christmases even though we weren't like a rich family or anything like that. My parents really went all out like 91 00:07:28,580 --> 00:07:35,100 The tree was you know beautiful for a whole month and we had a whole living room 92 00:07:35,100 --> 00:07:41,220 that was full of presents and and every every Christmas morning we would walk downstairs and there would be a 93 00:07:41,980 --> 00:07:47,020 You know the whole room would be full of toys and things like that it was 94 00:07:47,900 --> 00:07:49,900 it was a 95 00:07:50,340 --> 00:07:54,200 Fantastical I mean it was it was insane now that I think back on it 96 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,200 And now you know when I when I say those things 97 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:58,200 it 98 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:01,920 It makes it sound like we were really well off 99 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:08,400 We really weren't my my parents like basically spent the year paying off credit card debt so that they could then spend 100 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:12,040 up their credit cards on on Christmas and 101 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,280 It wasn't it wasn't the most financially 102 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:22,240 Responsible way of handling Christmas, but I think that 103 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:29,480 The the joy and wonder that they saw in me and my sister when we walked down those stairs 104 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:37,140 It was worth it for them. I really do believe that and as a father myself. I can I can definitely understand it 105 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:43,280 And there were you know we had multiple Christmases where it was 106 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,940 it was it really was it was like walking into a fantasy land walking down the stairs and 107 00:08:47,940 --> 00:08:52,520 The way that our house was set up is you would walk down the stairs and you would turn to the right and 108 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,080 that was our our family room slash living room, whatever you want to call it and 109 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,920 it was a you know, it was a decent sized room and it was 110 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:07,040 it was you know where we would sit and listen to music and things like that and and that's where the Christmas tree was and 111 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:13,240 When I tell you it was like you couldn't walk in the room some Christmases because there were just presents everywhere now 112 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:15,320 They weren't just they weren't all presents from my parents 113 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:20,800 They were presents from family members and things like that as well, but it was a fantasy world. It was it was crazy 114 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:28,080 Anyway the the point of that was not to you know explain how spoiled rotten I was as a child 115 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:35,840 It was to explain that Christmas had a very special significance to my parents and to our family for a long time 116 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:39,940 I didn't I didn't become the Grinchy Grinch that I am now 117 00:09:39,940 --> 00:09:43,940 By any any 118 00:09:43,940 --> 00:09:50,940 Anything my parents did my parents definitely tried to instill in me how great Christmas was and 119 00:09:52,260 --> 00:09:55,220 You know, I had a relatively I 120 00:09:55,780 --> 00:09:58,260 guess average upbringing in that sense like 121 00:09:59,060 --> 00:10:03,060 It wasn't it wasn't Christmas was never didn't have any negative connotations for me 122 00:10:03,060 --> 00:10:07,060 I didn't really it wasn't really until I got older and became a 123 00:10:07,060 --> 00:10:14,100 Parent and realized just how difficult it was that I started to really kind of get a kind of a bad feeling about it 124 00:10:15,780 --> 00:10:17,780 Anyway, we'll get to that in a little bit though 125 00:10:19,300 --> 00:10:24,260 So this particular Christmas, like I said, I think I was seven or eight my parents had 126 00:10:25,020 --> 00:10:30,140 Gone out and been shopping. You know, I don't know how long they shopped for I never really 127 00:10:30,900 --> 00:10:34,620 Knew anything about that, but I assumed they had been shopping 128 00:10:34,620 --> 00:10:39,340 for a while now the reason why I say I was seven or eight 129 00:10:40,860 --> 00:10:42,860 Was because this had to be 130 00:10:45,380 --> 00:10:47,620 Well, maybe I was maybe I was six yeah 131 00:10:47,620 --> 00:10:52,220 Maybe I was it was six or seven not seven or eight because this was shortly after 132 00:10:52,700 --> 00:10:58,940 Empire Strikes Back had come out probably probably probably a year or so after Empire Strikes Strikes Back came out and the reason I know that 133 00:10:59,580 --> 00:11:01,260 is because 134 00:11:01,260 --> 00:11:07,460 Well, I'll explain in a second. Oh, so I had I 135 00:11:08,660 --> 00:11:13,460 Had found I had discovered through my explorations in the house 136 00:11:14,380 --> 00:11:15,740 some 137 00:11:15,740 --> 00:11:16,860 hidden 138 00:11:16,860 --> 00:11:20,860 gift stashes if you will see my mom would 139 00:11:21,420 --> 00:11:26,540 Oftentimes we would you know, they would go shopping and then they would come back and my mom would you know spend an hour or whatever? 140 00:11:26,540 --> 00:11:28,940 Wrapping the presents right away. She didn't she didn't 141 00:11:28,940 --> 00:11:32,380 Leave, you know presents unwrapped. She wrapped them all and 142 00:11:33,020 --> 00:11:34,820 then as 143 00:11:34,820 --> 00:11:36,820 We would find out 144 00:11:36,820 --> 00:11:39,980 Me and my sister would find out my mom and my dad had 145 00:11:40,580 --> 00:11:47,380 multiple little places that they would stash gifts so that we wouldn't see them until Christmas morning and 146 00:11:47,900 --> 00:11:53,220 I think I think you know, I don't know if it was my sister that started it or me, but 147 00:11:53,940 --> 00:11:56,860 It became kind of a challenge to like find all the little stashes 148 00:11:56,860 --> 00:11:58,860 so I 149 00:11:59,260 --> 00:12:03,380 Was I was I want to say I was six or seven. Yeah, I had to be 150 00:12:03,940 --> 00:12:05,940 I'm sorry. I'm really trying to remember I 151 00:12:06,460 --> 00:12:10,740 This is a part part of the story that I was like, I don't need to research that it happened to me 152 00:12:10,740 --> 00:12:14,660 But I really don't I don't remember my own life that well apparently 153 00:12:16,580 --> 00:12:22,020 Anyway, so I was I was about that age and I had come home from school and 154 00:12:22,540 --> 00:12:24,540 at this point in time there was like a 155 00:12:24,540 --> 00:12:27,420 There was a real fever like, you know, Chris we knew Christmas was coming 156 00:12:27,420 --> 00:12:31,580 We knew that you know, we knew what we had asked for we knew what there was, you know 157 00:12:32,060 --> 00:12:34,060 and so there was this kind of 158 00:12:35,460 --> 00:12:39,580 Well, you know, it's important to understand when me and my sister would find these 159 00:12:40,580 --> 00:12:44,700 Gift stashes we would spend you know, we didn't like linger on them 160 00:12:44,700 --> 00:12:49,580 But we would spend a few minutes looking and say, you know, okay that could be this or this good 161 00:12:49,580 --> 00:12:52,580 What is that? You know, we wouldn't shake him or anything because we didn't want to make a mistake 162 00:12:52,580 --> 00:12:55,220 You know, we wouldn't shake him or anything. So we didn't want to mess him up, but 163 00:12:56,260 --> 00:13:01,180 We would we would poke around a little bit, right and we didn't always find all the stashes 164 00:13:01,180 --> 00:13:05,520 they my parents definitely knew more about the house and where they could hide stuff than that we did but 165 00:13:07,300 --> 00:13:09,300 Anyway, my dad 166 00:13:09,300 --> 00:13:15,700 Had apparently or my mom I guess had used my dad's closet as a as a 167 00:13:16,740 --> 00:13:18,740 stash spot 168 00:13:19,220 --> 00:13:21,220 and I had come home from 169 00:13:21,220 --> 00:13:26,060 I had to come home from school early, you know now that I think about it though now that I said that out loud 170 00:13:26,060 --> 00:13:27,980 I don't think I did come home from school early 171 00:13:27,980 --> 00:13:33,220 I think that school was actually out because this was shortly before Christmas. I think we had actually started our 172 00:13:33,780 --> 00:13:36,740 Yeah. Yeah, I'm pretty sure we had started our 173 00:13:37,620 --> 00:13:43,220 Our Christmas break. This was like the first day or the second day of our Christmas break from school 174 00:13:43,540 --> 00:13:45,540 And my parents had gone to work 175 00:13:45,580 --> 00:13:46,860 and 176 00:13:46,860 --> 00:13:48,860 So I was there 177 00:13:48,860 --> 00:13:55,540 Basically alone. I don't know where my sister was. I don't remember either way the way this story goes is 178 00:13:56,300 --> 00:13:59,500 Basically, I find the stash. I know where the stash is I go to my I 179 00:14:00,220 --> 00:14:05,380 Go to my dad's closet and I'm I'm poking around and I'm really poking around 180 00:14:05,380 --> 00:14:09,740 I'm like digging in there trying to see what's all in there and there's some really big boxes and stuff like that 181 00:14:09,740 --> 00:14:11,740 They're all wrapped 182 00:14:11,780 --> 00:14:13,020 so 183 00:14:13,020 --> 00:14:15,860 once again, I was very young so in my 184 00:14:15,860 --> 00:14:17,860 youthful exuberance I 185 00:14:18,220 --> 00:14:19,540 I 186 00:14:19,540 --> 00:14:24,460 Start to think well I could just peel I could just pull a little bit of this right here 187 00:14:24,460 --> 00:14:31,140 I just see what it is. You know what I mean, you know, the the the anticipation was killing me the the fact that I you know 188 00:14:31,460 --> 00:14:34,500 I'm not really good with surprises. I really wanted to know what it was 189 00:14:34,980 --> 00:14:38,540 So I start, you know kind of peeling a little tape here 190 00:14:38,540 --> 00:14:43,340 and now here's something that else is very important for this my mother is a 191 00:14:44,220 --> 00:14:45,540 like 192 00:14:45,540 --> 00:14:50,500 Gift-wrapping savant she's like, you know, this stuff is like locked down tight 193 00:14:50,500 --> 00:14:58,020 She's it's a beautiful like the every box is like perfect. She's bows are perfect and everything. She's she's really really good at it. So 194 00:14:59,260 --> 00:15:02,460 It's not exactly easy to get into these packages 195 00:15:02,460 --> 00:15:05,700 It's not exactly like even when you like even when you're just trying to rip them 196 00:15:05,700 --> 00:15:11,420 it's not really that easy because she's you know, the corners are all like really good like she's she's got this down and 197 00:15:11,420 --> 00:15:13,420 So I'm 198 00:15:13,420 --> 00:15:17,620 I'm really trying I'm genuinely trying like looking looking 199 00:15:18,100 --> 00:15:22,900 Picking up each one of these packages shaking it, you know, I'm at this point in time. I'm kind of 200 00:15:23,620 --> 00:15:30,700 And not I'm not really thinking about where anybody is or how the you know, nothing nothing's going through my head 201 00:15:30,700 --> 00:15:32,700 But what's in these packages? 202 00:15:33,020 --> 00:15:35,020 so I end up 203 00:15:35,620 --> 00:15:39,180 I'm just thinking about it and I'm so embarrassed even tell the story 204 00:15:39,180 --> 00:15:41,860 I'm so embarrassed even tell the story. Yeah, my mom's gonna love this 205 00:15:44,220 --> 00:15:48,420 So I'm sitting there and I'm I don't remember what it was exactly 206 00:15:48,420 --> 00:15:53,540 but I was kind of looking at it and I was feeling like I was rubbing my hand along the side of the package to try 207 00:15:53,540 --> 00:15:54,700 to feel for like 208 00:15:54,700 --> 00:15:57,540 You know how I don't know. Maybe you guys don't really know what I'm talking about 209 00:15:57,540 --> 00:16:01,620 But there's like when you feel a certain packaging you can feel like oh 210 00:16:01,620 --> 00:16:06,780 Well, there's a piece of plastic here and there's cardboard here and I can it was really scientific at the time 211 00:16:06,780 --> 00:16:11,540 So I was trying to figure out what this particular box was and as I'm rubbing my hand along it 212 00:16:12,140 --> 00:16:18,300 My finger just goes through the wrapping paper and I I just think just rip right into it 213 00:16:18,780 --> 00:16:24,740 And I don't remember what it was now. I don't remember it was a Star Wars toy. I know that I don't know what it was 214 00:16:24,740 --> 00:16:31,380 In particular, but my finger just goes right through the wrapper and I like rip it right across the front and I'm like, oh no 215 00:16:32,060 --> 00:16:33,580 and I 216 00:16:33,580 --> 00:16:35,900 Panicked I didn't know what to do. So I 217 00:16:35,900 --> 00:16:37,420 I 218 00:16:37,420 --> 00:16:43,060 Turned that I turn it around and I put it back in the closet and I start putting everything back in and I'm just I'm 219 00:16:43,460 --> 00:16:45,460 completely and totally panicked 220 00:16:45,740 --> 00:16:47,580 so I 221 00:16:47,580 --> 00:16:50,980 Put everything back. I put everything, you know, I do my best of like and 222 00:16:51,780 --> 00:16:53,780 I go about I go about my day 223 00:16:54,020 --> 00:16:58,420 My parents come home the day goes by nobody says anything. So I'm thinking oh 224 00:16:58,420 --> 00:17:04,940 Man, I got it. I like there I'm slick now. They there's no way they're catching on to me. I 225 00:17:06,340 --> 00:17:10,260 Thought that I had I think what I did is actually put a piece of tape now 226 00:17:10,780 --> 00:17:12,300 I'd put a piece of tape across it 227 00:17:12,300 --> 00:17:15,260 Now the reality was is that they just didn't look at it, right? 228 00:17:15,260 --> 00:17:18,860 Like why would they look at it? It was hidden in the closet and they didn't think I would 229 00:17:19,140 --> 00:17:23,700 so I just taken a piece of tape and like put it across where I'd ripped it and I thought I 230 00:17:24,060 --> 00:17:27,060 Thought that they were coming home and like checking everything right? 231 00:17:27,060 --> 00:17:32,020 I thought that you know they were and that they had just skipped over that one or missed that one and I thought that I 232 00:17:32,020 --> 00:17:34,020 Had I had pulled one over on them 233 00:17:34,260 --> 00:17:36,260 so the next day I 234 00:17:38,500 --> 00:17:40,500 Get back into the stash and 235 00:17:41,420 --> 00:17:47,500 This time I just lost control. I just I just started opening gifts. I'm not gonna lie 236 00:17:47,500 --> 00:17:50,900 I just was like, okay, and I'm and the whole time I'm thinking 237 00:17:51,460 --> 00:17:55,500 Well, the tape thing worked so I can I'll just I'll just rewrap them all 238 00:17:55,500 --> 00:17:57,500 I'll just open them up and then I'll rewrap them 239 00:17:59,100 --> 00:18:05,900 Well, I don't know if that worked out the best way I possibly could have so I 240 00:18:07,740 --> 00:18:10,660 I opened up and it was basically just like 241 00:18:11,540 --> 00:18:13,460 it was like 242 00:18:13,460 --> 00:18:20,300 six Star Wars toys and I remember there being a bunch of action figures and I was I mean I was like I 243 00:18:20,300 --> 00:18:25,660 Was the happiest person you could imagine and I was like I'm getting all this stuff for Christmas 244 00:18:25,660 --> 00:18:31,580 Like it was all for me, right? I knew what it was. And and so I was so excited that I 245 00:18:33,060 --> 00:18:36,100 Didn't really think about step two of the plan 246 00:18:37,140 --> 00:18:39,700 so I end up having this big pile of 247 00:18:41,020 --> 00:18:43,020 wrapping paper now 248 00:18:43,020 --> 00:18:47,780 Keep in mind. My mom like I said is a wrapping savant. So this is like I 249 00:18:47,780 --> 00:18:55,780 Had I had undone like an hour worth of wrapping work that she had she had done and there was just wrapping paper everywhere 250 00:18:56,660 --> 00:18:58,220 so I 251 00:18:58,220 --> 00:19:02,900 Pick up as much as I can I take it out and I put it in the outside trash so that nobody will know 252 00:19:02,900 --> 00:19:06,100 Where it is and and I'm I put all the toys back in the closet 253 00:19:06,940 --> 00:19:08,300 Think I don't know what I was thinking 254 00:19:08,300 --> 00:19:14,100 Maybe I was thinking that like she just like they just wouldn't notice that they were on right maybe that maybe oh she's he's wrapping 255 00:19:14,100 --> 00:19:16,420 Again, she just forgot. I don't I really honestly don't know what I was thinking 256 00:19:16,420 --> 00:19:18,420 But I put all the stuff back in the closet 257 00:19:19,420 --> 00:19:24,420 And I was just you know, I was I knew the secret. I was just so excited. I knew the secret and 258 00:19:27,420 --> 00:19:30,420 So stupid I was just so so stupid 259 00:19:31,420 --> 00:19:33,420 And I think I did try to wrap some of them 260 00:19:33,420 --> 00:19:37,420 But then I quickly gave up on that when I realized that there's no possible way because I didn't have any wrapping paper 261 00:19:38,420 --> 00:19:42,420 What I had was the ripped up wrapping paper that I'd already taken off the toys 262 00:19:42,420 --> 00:19:44,420 So 263 00:19:44,420 --> 00:19:49,420 My parents come home my mom comes home and she is 264 00:19:50,420 --> 00:19:51,420 panicked 265 00:19:51,420 --> 00:19:56,420 She sees she sees I when I had when I had carried the wrapping paper out 266 00:19:56,420 --> 00:20:00,420 I had literally left like a trail of wrapping paper and 267 00:20:00,420 --> 00:20:05,420 I guess I guess I'm just was just not that bright. I don't know but 268 00:20:06,420 --> 00:20:09,420 My mom thought that somebody had broken into the house 269 00:20:09,420 --> 00:20:12,420 And had stolen the gifts out of 270 00:20:13,420 --> 00:20:15,420 Like had taken stuff 271 00:20:15,420 --> 00:20:18,420 Because there was just this like line of wrapping paper all through the house 272 00:20:18,420 --> 00:20:23,420 There was just like and it what it was was I just had little hands and I couldn't carry it all so I was I was 273 00:20:23,420 --> 00:20:27,420 Dropping it and I didn't think to go back and pick up the little pieces because I didn't notice them 274 00:20:27,420 --> 00:20:30,420 So my mom thought that somebody come in and stolen our gifts 275 00:20:31,420 --> 00:20:36,420 So she's freaks out and I don't know if she called my dad or my dad was on his way home or what the hell 276 00:20:36,420 --> 00:20:40,420 was but my dad gets home and it turns into this whole thing where 277 00:20:41,420 --> 00:20:45,420 obviously they you know, they figure out that it was me and I 278 00:20:46,420 --> 00:20:49,420 I have to fess up to it and I get in trouble and 279 00:20:50,420 --> 00:20:54,420 well, the story doesn't really have a happy ending because all the toys that I 280 00:20:55,420 --> 00:20:57,420 I had I 281 00:20:57,420 --> 00:20:59,420 Had it sneaked and looked at 282 00:20:59,420 --> 00:21:03,420 Ended up. I actually I think my dad took back like most of them 283 00:21:03,420 --> 00:21:06,420 To the store like he took them all back and returned them 284 00:21:06,420 --> 00:21:12,420 So I ended up getting a few of them, but my my Christmas that year since I had spoiled it for them 285 00:21:13,420 --> 00:21:19,420 They kind of spoiled it for me. I did not get all of those toys. I did not get all of those things 286 00:21:20,420 --> 00:21:24,420 And it really sucked it really did suck but it did teach me the lesson 287 00:21:24,420 --> 00:21:28,420 Obviously, like I knew I knew at that point in time that I had done something wrong 288 00:21:28,420 --> 00:21:30,420 but I 289 00:21:30,420 --> 00:21:33,420 I remember that 290 00:21:33,420 --> 00:21:40,420 Christmas very well because first of all, I'm reminded of it by all of them on a regular basis and second of all 291 00:21:41,420 --> 00:21:43,420 remember it being the first time 292 00:21:44,420 --> 00:21:45,420 that I 293 00:21:45,420 --> 00:21:51,420 Really was like because the gifts all were labeled to 294 00:21:52,420 --> 00:21:56,420 Blank from Santa and I thought that was weird 295 00:21:56,420 --> 00:22:02,420 Because literally up until that point in time. I would have fought you if you told me that Santa wasn't real and 296 00:22:03,420 --> 00:22:05,420 I was wondering why my 297 00:22:05,420 --> 00:22:10,420 Why my parents had all these gifts that were from Santa why they had them already did Santa already dropped them off 298 00:22:10,420 --> 00:22:13,420 and I think that maybe that that maybe played into 299 00:22:13,420 --> 00:22:15,420 why I did what I did because I 300 00:22:16,420 --> 00:22:23,420 Santa was magical right like he he could easily like do it again. Like it wasn't that big a deal and he wouldn't mind 301 00:22:23,420 --> 00:22:28,420 I don't know. I really don't I can't put myself in that in that mindset anymore 302 00:22:28,420 --> 00:22:34,420 I don't know why I did what I did, but I did ruin Christmas. I that was the first my first Grinch moment 303 00:22:34,420 --> 00:22:39,420 I literally stole the gifts from from my family 304 00:22:40,420 --> 00:22:42,420 and 305 00:22:42,420 --> 00:22:46,420 Anyway, so that's that's my that's my strongest childhood 306 00:22:46,420 --> 00:22:50,420 Christmas story and don't get me wrong. There was like I said at the beginning 307 00:22:50,420 --> 00:22:53,420 There was a lot of really really good 308 00:22:54,420 --> 00:22:57,420 Christmas memories from when I was a young child that I I 309 00:22:57,420 --> 00:23:01,420 I hold mostly those moments of wonder and seeing the look on my parents face 310 00:23:02,420 --> 00:23:08,420 When I would come around the corner and they were so happy. They were tired. They'd been up all night, but they were happy 311 00:23:08,420 --> 00:23:14,420 You know, they got to see us in these these this moment of just sheer wonder and joy and it was 312 00:23:14,420 --> 00:23:17,420 It was nice. It was it was really nice 313 00:23:17,420 --> 00:23:19,420 So moving on 314 00:23:20,420 --> 00:23:23,420 After that that tale of woe 315 00:23:25,420 --> 00:23:32,420 I'm gonna I'm gonna throw in another quote here that I think is though important for this next section that I wanted to get to 316 00:23:33,420 --> 00:23:39,420 Everybody everybody has their favorite Christmas song everybody has their favorite Christmas tradition things like that 317 00:23:39,420 --> 00:23:41,420 but 318 00:23:41,420 --> 00:23:44,420 I asked a few people what their favorite Christmas song was 319 00:23:44,420 --> 00:23:47,420 And it was interesting because for me 320 00:23:48,420 --> 00:23:56,420 My favorite has always been a little drummer boy, and I don't know why I think I think I just like them the message 321 00:23:58,420 --> 00:24:00,420 But for a lot of people 322 00:24:00,420 --> 00:24:02,420 It's white Christmas 323 00:24:02,420 --> 00:24:08,420 And I actually asked my girlfriend of what hers was she said white Christmas and then she said anything by Bing Crosby 324 00:24:08,420 --> 00:24:10,420 and I thought that was funny because 325 00:24:10,420 --> 00:24:15,420 I had actually been researching this episode and it was funny to say researching a Christmas episode 326 00:24:15,420 --> 00:24:17,420 but I really had been and 327 00:24:17,420 --> 00:24:22,420 And I had come across a quote from Bing Crosby 328 00:24:22,420 --> 00:24:29,420 Where he said unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings all the snow in Alaska will make it white 329 00:24:29,420 --> 00:24:35,420 And I just thought that was funny that you know people people don't tend to think about the fact that 330 00:24:35,420 --> 00:24:39,420 Well, I guess I should say people look past the fact that 331 00:24:40,420 --> 00:24:45,420 Christmas has a specific meaning to a lot of people and that meaning is 332 00:24:46,420 --> 00:24:52,420 You know not necessarily going out and buying a thousand dollars worth of gifts for a child or 333 00:24:52,420 --> 00:24:55,420 You know going out and it's it's taking care of people 334 00:24:55,420 --> 00:24:59,420 It's you know the reason we give gifts and the reason that we we 335 00:24:59,420 --> 00:25:04,420 You know have feasts and things like that is not just so that we can keep it to ourselves 336 00:25:04,420 --> 00:25:06,420 All right, that's the whole point of this 337 00:25:06,420 --> 00:25:11,420 And and just to just to nip this in the bud when I say that's not the whole point of this or any of that 338 00:25:11,420 --> 00:25:14,420 I'm not gonna get into the whole reason for the season kind of thing 339 00:25:14,420 --> 00:25:20,420 I'm not this isn't about the religious aspects of Christmas and I understand that that may be offensive to some people 340 00:25:21,420 --> 00:25:23,420 I understand 341 00:25:23,420 --> 00:25:25,420 You know, I understand that 342 00:25:25,420 --> 00:25:29,420 I totally understand but that's not that's not what we're talking about here 343 00:25:29,420 --> 00:25:34,420 I mean people people that aren't Christians can celebrate Christmas and can get 344 00:25:34,420 --> 00:25:40,420 Just as much out of it and and enjoy the holiday just as much as as a Christian can so I want to make sure that's clear 345 00:25:40,420 --> 00:25:43,420 I'm not I'm not disparaging anybody. I'm not trying to take away from anybody 346 00:25:43,420 --> 00:25:49,420 I'm not I'm not saying that it doesn't mean this or it doesn't mean that what I'm saying is that it can mean all of us 347 00:25:49,420 --> 00:25:55,420 Things right like Christmas doesn't just mean one thing to one person and and just because they said it 348 00:25:55,420 --> 00:26:01,420 Everybody else has to follow suit Christmas means so much to so many people and 349 00:26:01,420 --> 00:26:04,420 That's in a good and a bad way and that's what we're talking about right now 350 00:26:04,420 --> 00:26:12,420 We're talking about the the few good things and some of the bad things that come from these different ways of looking at the holiday 351 00:26:12,420 --> 00:26:20,420 But I think in general something that we can all agree on we don't all practice it keep that in mind is that 352 00:26:20,420 --> 00:26:22,420 We should be taking care of 353 00:26:22,420 --> 00:26:24,420 those less fortunate 354 00:26:24,420 --> 00:26:28,420 around Christmas time and and really looking out for 355 00:26:28,420 --> 00:26:35,420 People that maybe can't look out for themselves. I think that that's maybe one of those lessons that is kind of lost 356 00:26:35,420 --> 00:26:43,420 in in the ultra consumerism that comes with Christmas people get so caught up in the tradition and the 357 00:26:43,420 --> 00:26:49,420 The buying of gifts and you know, oh I gotta get something for this person. Oh, I gotta get something for that person 358 00:26:49,420 --> 00:26:51,420 Oh, I gotta get something and really 359 00:26:51,420 --> 00:26:55,420 And this I mean this from the bottom of my heart like 360 00:26:55,420 --> 00:26:58,420 Sometimes you just want to hear from that person 361 00:26:58,420 --> 00:27:05,420 Sometimes that would mean more than all of the gifts all of the money all of the you know, sometimes it would just be nice to 362 00:27:05,420 --> 00:27:11,420 Know that that person's thinking of you and if possible spend a little bit of time with that person 363 00:27:11,420 --> 00:27:19,420 That's what Christmas is is supposed to be about it's supposed to be about family and friends and appreciating 364 00:27:19,420 --> 00:27:21,420 It almost is like a 365 00:27:21,420 --> 00:27:29,420 Thanksgiving 2.0, right? Like like we think of Thanksgiving as long as you're not indigenous you think of Thanksgiving is a time for 366 00:27:29,420 --> 00:27:32,420 Celebrating your family and friends, right? It's the same basic thing 367 00:27:32,420 --> 00:27:40,420 And I think that the Christmas is you know, a much more universal much more widely accepted version of that 368 00:27:40,420 --> 00:27:43,420 Obviously, there's more there's obviously more more common sense 369 00:27:43,420 --> 00:27:51,420 But at the end of the day it comes down to appreciating and spending time with your family your friends and then helping those less fortunate 370 00:27:51,420 --> 00:27:53,420 I 371 00:27:53,420 --> 00:27:56,420 Remember reading an interesting take on this 372 00:27:56,420 --> 00:28:02,420 I think it was by Craig Ferguson the comedian and I don't I don't have the quote here 373 00:28:02,420 --> 00:28:04,420 I don't remember exactly the context of it 374 00:28:04,420 --> 00:28:06,420 But I think he said something about 375 00:28:06,420 --> 00:28:14,420 Commercialism and capitalism being really good for the holiday being really good for Christmas because the more we inject 376 00:28:14,420 --> 00:28:20,420 Those those aspects into the the holiday 377 00:28:20,420 --> 00:28:22,420 the more spiritual 378 00:28:22,420 --> 00:28:26,420 He becomes about it and I thought that was funny because you know 379 00:28:26,420 --> 00:28:32,420 That's kind of how it's been for me for me for me for me for me for me for me for me for me for me for me 380 00:28:32,420 --> 00:28:38,420 I've cared about it and I thought that was funny because you know, that's kind of how it's been for me the more 381 00:28:38,420 --> 00:28:44,420 The more I've felt pressured to go out and buy and spend and you know 382 00:28:44,420 --> 00:28:50,420 Put put stuff on credit cards and the more I've felt the pressure to do those things over time 383 00:28:50,420 --> 00:28:59,420 The the less I've cared about it and the let the more I've cared about the the ideas that are really important in my opinion 384 00:28:59,420 --> 00:29:09,420 To Christmas and that is you know showing showing the people in your life that that you value them and that you love them 385 00:29:09,420 --> 00:29:15,420 And that you want to spend time with them and you care about them 386 00:29:15,420 --> 00:29:22,420 And I think that that really you know when you think about the time of year, it's cold outside 387 00:29:22,420 --> 00:29:33,420 You know you the whole in every song that talks about that, you know, it's about huddling close together and staying warm by the fire and then all of these things that 388 00:29:33,420 --> 00:29:39,420 You know in today's modern world, we tend to forget where a lot of this sentiment comes from 389 00:29:39,420 --> 00:29:46,420 But you know, we forget that to our own detriment. We forget that to our own folly. 390 00:29:46,420 --> 00:29:53,420 And instead we focus on the the ultra flashy brand new make sure you get this thing. Make sure you got that thing. 391 00:29:53,420 --> 00:29:58,420 And that's really not what this is all about. That's really never been what this is about. 392 00:29:58,420 --> 00:30:05,420 And trust me when I say that it's very difficult because I feel the pressure and I feel the pain. 393 00:30:05,420 --> 00:30:15,420 This Christmas in particular has been is going to be very difficult for me because of all of the life changes I've recently gone through and the losing people in my life. 394 00:30:15,420 --> 00:30:26,420 And so on and so forth. It's been it's been a really, really tough for me because like I said, you know, as time has gone on, I've moved away from the forcibly 395 00:30:26,420 --> 00:30:35,420 But I've moved away from the pretty, you know, capitalism and commercialism of the holiday and it's become more about the people. 396 00:30:35,420 --> 00:30:39,420 And so when you come to the holiday and you realize that you're down some people, right? 397 00:30:39,420 --> 00:30:45,420 Like and that goes for, you know, anybody really like we go into these holidays and we celebrate. 398 00:30:45,420 --> 00:30:54,420 But we are then forced to remember the people that have have gone, whether it be, you know, passed on or have just left your life. 399 00:30:54,420 --> 00:30:59,420 It's it's really difficult. It's really, really tough. 400 00:30:59,420 --> 00:31:03,420 And what that does is it is it makes you feel alone. 401 00:31:03,420 --> 00:31:16,420 You'd be in a room full of people and you'll still feel alone because a lot of times we tend to focus on what we don't have in spite of what we have. 402 00:31:16,420 --> 00:31:24,420 You know, we look at we look at and, you know, even as a as a child, people tend to do that, even as children, we do that. 403 00:31:24,420 --> 00:31:35,420 You know, we think of, you know, think about how many Christmases you would go you would have and somebody down the street would get whatever toy or whatever thing. 404 00:31:35,420 --> 00:31:44,420 And everybody would be like, oh, you know, they'd all be jealous of that thing that they didn't get while also receiving, you know, 10 toys or whatever it may be. 405 00:31:44,420 --> 00:31:48,420 You know, you get you get however many gifts and they're all great and you love them. 406 00:31:48,420 --> 00:31:54,420 And then you walk outside and see what somebody else has and you're like, oh, I wanted that. And then you get that jealousy. 407 00:31:54,420 --> 00:32:00,420 But the reality is, is that, you know, it was a blessing. 408 00:32:00,420 --> 00:32:07,420 You were you were blessed to get the things you were good and you are lucky to get those things and you should appreciate those things. 409 00:32:07,420 --> 00:32:12,420 And and that includes time with your family members and appreciating your loved ones. 410 00:32:12,420 --> 00:32:23,420 You know, we're not none of us are immortal. And it's important to remember that as you come through these holidays and you really want to stay present and appreciate 411 00:32:23,420 --> 00:32:33,420 the time that you have with the people in your life because you never know where they're going to be or, you know, if they're going to be there again, we take that for granted. 412 00:32:33,420 --> 00:32:36,420 We genuinely take that for granted. 413 00:32:36,420 --> 00:32:47,420 And it's unfortunate. It's unfortunate that we do that because it's people people come and go in your life. 414 00:32:47,420 --> 00:32:56,420 And you really don't understand the impact that they have or that they have had until they're gone. 415 00:32:56,420 --> 00:33:12,420 And it takes a lot of being present and mindful to, you know, focus on that when they're there because you always assume they're always going to be there and they're not. 416 00:33:12,420 --> 00:33:16,420 So consider this if you're listening, consider this a reminder. 417 00:33:16,420 --> 00:33:19,420 Hug the people that you're with on this holiday. 418 00:33:19,420 --> 00:33:21,420 Call the people that you need to call. 419 00:33:21,420 --> 00:33:36,420 Send the love that you need to send to make these people in your life appreciate and understand how important they are and how much you truly care about them because this is the time to do that. 420 00:33:36,420 --> 00:33:39,420 That's what this holiday should be about. 421 00:33:39,420 --> 00:33:44,420 And just because you don't know somebody doesn't mean that you can't reach out. 422 00:33:44,420 --> 00:33:56,420 You know, doesn't mean that you can't when you're walking down the street, when you're going to the store, when you're doing whatever you're doing, you know, when you walk outside on Christmas morning and you see your neighbor, make sure you wave. 423 00:33:56,420 --> 00:34:04,420 Make sure you wish them a good holiday and don't do it in a, you know, a fake way where you're like, oh, happy holiday, Steve. 424 00:34:04,420 --> 00:34:08,420 Like, you don't need to do that. Just go out there and genuinely, you know, care for them. 425 00:34:08,420 --> 00:34:11,420 If you made some cookies, go take them some cookies. 426 00:34:11,420 --> 00:34:22,420 If you, you know, whatever it may be, you just, just take a few seconds out of your day and really genuinely wish somebody a good holiday, a Merry Christmas. 427 00:34:22,420 --> 00:34:33,420 There's no amount of joy that you could bring into the world around this time that isn't going to be appreciated. 428 00:34:33,420 --> 00:34:53,420 The sorrow, the loneliness and the, the feeling, the feeling of loss that so many people feel around this time of year, myself included, almost every year I go through severe depression because of this holiday. 429 00:34:53,420 --> 00:34:56,420 And it is very, very difficult. 430 00:34:56,420 --> 00:35:05,420 So if you can reach out, if you can take the time, if you can, you know, have a kind word, give a hug. Oh dear Lord, give a hug if you can. 431 00:35:05,420 --> 00:35:14,420 It means so much. It means so, so much. A hug. A hug is everything on Christmas. 432 00:35:14,420 --> 00:35:22,420 It is, it is, it is what Christmas is for me. Hugging my mom, hugging my family. That's what it's all about. 433 00:35:22,420 --> 00:35:28,420 I don't, that's what, that's what brings tears to my eyes is hugs. 434 00:35:28,420 --> 00:35:35,420 I had, I had thought a lot last week when I was thinking about this episode and how I wanted it to go. 435 00:35:35,420 --> 00:35:39,420 I thought a lot about, you know, what I wanted to include and, and how I wanted it to go. 436 00:35:39,420 --> 00:35:43,420 And what I decided was I'm going to try to keep this short. 437 00:35:43,420 --> 00:35:53,420 I just did like an hour and almost 30 minutes in the last episode. So I don't want to take too much of people's time away from celebrating the holiday. 438 00:35:53,420 --> 00:36:00,420 So what I want to do now is I'm just going to run through a few things that I mean, some, a lot of people know these things. 439 00:36:00,420 --> 00:36:10,420 I'm just going to run through a few things really fast just to, you know, kind of throw out some little lesser known facts maybe about the, about the holiday. 440 00:36:10,420 --> 00:36:16,420 And then I do have something I want to say before I end the, end this episode. 441 00:36:16,420 --> 00:36:19,420 So just stay with me for a few more minutes while we go through this. 442 00:36:19,420 --> 00:36:25,420 I thought this, I thought some of these were kind of interesting. So I don't know, maybe they aren't. 443 00:36:25,420 --> 00:36:36,420 But I thought that it was interesting, for instance, that Jingle Bells, the song Jingle Bells was not actually written as a Christmas song. 444 00:36:36,420 --> 00:36:41,420 Now it's synonymous with Christmas, but it was originally written as a Thanksgiving song. 445 00:36:41,420 --> 00:36:50,420 And I thought that was interesting. It was a Jingle Bells was actually written by a man named James Lord Piermont in 1857. 446 00:36:50,420 --> 00:36:55,420 And it was for a Thanksgiving church concert. And I thought that was, that was interesting. 447 00:36:55,420 --> 00:37:00,420 Something, you know, when you think about the words and things like that, you know, it doesn't specifically say Christmas. 448 00:37:00,420 --> 00:37:02,420 So I just thought it was interesting. 449 00:37:02,420 --> 00:37:07,420 Another, another interesting fact that I actually knew this. 450 00:37:07,420 --> 00:37:14,420 And actually I knew a friend that actually confirmed this for me. He was Japanese. 451 00:37:14,420 --> 00:37:23,420 And I thought this is funny. You know, we here in America, we do, we do all sorts of things that are, you know, kind of weird and things like that for Christmas. 452 00:37:23,420 --> 00:37:38,420 We have different traditions, but we in Japan, many, many, many families celebrate Christmas with KFC, Kentucky Fried Chicken. 453 00:37:38,420 --> 00:37:45,420 They actually, this has been around since the 70s, 70s or 80s. 454 00:37:45,420 --> 00:37:56,420 And it all started with the marketing campaign by KFC and it worked so well that it is now considered a tradition in Japan to, 455 00:37:56,420 --> 00:38:05,420 and they, they, they do the same thing as like, like Popeyes does when you order like Thanksgiving chickens from them or whatever. 456 00:38:05,420 --> 00:38:08,420 They do like the Cajun chickens. You can order them in advance. 457 00:38:08,420 --> 00:38:17,420 People literally go to KFC and order in advance for their Christmas feasts and they'll have big, big giant Christmas buckets of chicken and tenders and things like that. 458 00:38:17,420 --> 00:38:23,420 I just thought that was funny. I know that some people know that already. If you know any Japanese people, you may already know that. 459 00:38:23,420 --> 00:38:32,420 But I actually, I just think that that's hilarious that, you know, we go through, like I'm going to be making a big, a big brisket and I'm going to be making some chickens and all this stuff. 460 00:38:32,420 --> 00:38:38,420 I'm putting all this effort into making this stuff and, and if you're Japanese, you just, you know, buy KFC. 461 00:38:38,420 --> 00:38:51,420 But one of the things, one of these, some of these facts that I saw, what I found was interesting about them was that, you know, a lot of the traditions that we have around Christmas aren't actually, 462 00:38:51,420 --> 00:39:00,420 like they, they, they came along way outside of Christmas, like the things that we do, the way that we celebrate, like, like for instance, Christmas stockings. 463 00:39:00,420 --> 00:39:22,420 They didn't actually, like, like, I guess it's impossible to really say like the first Christmas, you know, but, but the, the custom of hanging Christmas stockings actually didn't come around until the, you know, early 19th century, like the 1800s. 464 00:39:22,420 --> 00:39:41,420 So that was actually a pretty late addition if you think about everything. And supposedly, supposedly it comes from this like legend of St. Nick putting gold coins into the stockings of these three poor sisters. 465 00:39:41,420 --> 00:39:53,420 They couldn't, they couldn't afford anything and he would just drop these gold coins or he dropped, not, he'd do it all the time, but he would drop gold coins into their stockings so that they could, you know, they weren't poor anymore basically. 466 00:39:53,420 --> 00:39:58,420 Well, they weren't poor, but you know, they could afford something. 467 00:39:58,420 --> 00:40:14,420 Now, I don't know, I didn't, I actually didn't go into that whole background. I was, I was really just looking for some, some little morsels and I came across that one. I thought, well, that's kind of, that's kind of cool. You know, things like stockings and like, like Christmas trees. 468 00:40:14,420 --> 00:40:31,420 That's not something that's always been there. And actually, one of, like one of the most famous Christmas trees in the world is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, you know, the giant tree that they put out in the middle of New York and, and it's, you know, world famous now. 469 00:40:31,420 --> 00:40:49,420 People literally travel to see it being lit. And what's interesting about that is that the first one, it wasn't a big tree. We've, we've completely like, you know, created that, like that's just something that we made up because, you know, we just like in America, we just like things being bigger and bigger, I guess. 470 00:40:49,420 --> 00:41:06,420 But the first, the first tree that was ever put there was just put there by some construction workers in 1931 and it wasn't even decorated. It was just a Christmas tree that they put in the middle of the center and people just liked it so much that actually it's kind of a funny story. 471 00:41:06,420 --> 00:41:23,420 It was undecorated and it just sat there and people would literally come up and put ornaments on it. They would just, you know, come up and hang stuff on it. And that, that happened over the course of years, like people just started putting stuff on the tree until they were like, hey, people really like this. 472 00:41:23,420 --> 00:41:38,420 And then the tree started to buckle because of all the stuff people would put on it. I just thought that was an interesting thing. And also a statement to like what community does, right? Like it's kind of cool that people would just start putting stuff on it because they wanted it to be pretty for the holiday. 473 00:41:38,420 --> 00:41:55,420 And then the other part of the tree thing is that's Germany. The Christmas tree tradition comes from Germany from, I can't remember if it was the 15th or 16th century. I think it was the 16th century. 474 00:41:55,420 --> 00:42:13,420 They used to be, you know, you would go cut down a live tree and then you would decorate it with these small actual like lit candles. So the lights that would be on your tree would be candles at the end of, you know, the boughs of the tree and then the branches. 475 00:42:13,420 --> 00:42:21,420 I just thought that was interesting. Like imagine that today. Imagine how many houses would burn down in America if we started putting candles in our trees. 476 00:42:21,420 --> 00:42:36,420 There's another interesting little tidbit that I thought, a lot of people know this already, but I've always thought it was really funny. It was, you know, I started this episode with Twas the Night Before Christmas. Well, another name for that poem is A Visit from St. Nicholas. 477 00:42:36,420 --> 00:43:03,420 That poem was the basis of a marketing campaign by Coca-Cola in 1931. And that marketing campaign was so successful and became such an important part of American history that if you go out and you ask most people what Santa Claus looks like, 478 00:43:03,420 --> 00:43:20,420 they will describe to you that Santa Claus. And when I say that Santa Claus, I mean the one from the Coca-Cola marketing campaign. Like that's literally the imagery that people have in their head is the Santa Claus from a Coca-Cola ad. 479 00:43:20,420 --> 00:43:34,420 Before that Coca-Cola ad, if you went out and you asked people in 1930 or 1929, there would be a varied opinion on what St. Nick would look like and what Santa Claus looked like. 480 00:43:34,420 --> 00:43:46,420 But after that kind of marketing campaign, it kind of unified the vision of what this character looked like to people. And I just thought that was funny, you know. 481 00:43:46,420 --> 00:43:51,420 You want to talk about the power of marketing, Santa Claus is the perfect example of that. 482 00:43:51,420 --> 00:44:13,420 And the last little tidbit I have before I go into this next segment, and the reason I'm using this is because it feeds to my next segment, is I hope that many of you have seen the Christmas classic movie Miracle on 34th Street. 483 00:44:13,420 --> 00:44:23,420 It is pretty much a must watch. And the original one. I mean the remakes are fine I guess. I don't know, I haven't watched all of those, but the original one. 484 00:44:23,420 --> 00:44:31,420 Well in that movie, there's a young girl in the movie, and that young girl is played by Natalie Wood. 485 00:44:31,420 --> 00:44:48,420 Well Natalie Wood is a famous legendary actress in Hollywood now, but when she was playing that little girl, she was still very much a believer in Santa Claus. 486 00:44:48,420 --> 00:45:01,420 And the actor who played Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street, his name was Edmund Gwynn, and he would show up to work early and get into full makeup. 487 00:45:01,420 --> 00:45:11,420 The man didn't have a beard, but he would go to makeup and he would put the beard on, and they would, you know, he would fold Santa Claus himself out and go on to set. 488 00:45:11,420 --> 00:45:19,420 And one of the reasons that he did that was because Natalie Wood believed in Santa Claus. 489 00:45:19,420 --> 00:45:26,420 And so this actor would show up three hours early, four hours early, and get into full makeup and then go play Santa Claus on set. 490 00:45:26,420 --> 00:45:32,420 And she didn't know. She had no idea. She thought that Santa Claus was working on the movie with her. 491 00:45:32,420 --> 00:45:46,420 And I thought that was a really sweet story. Like it wasn't until they did a cast party and Edmund Gwynn showed up with no beard on that she, even for a moment, thought that he was an actor. 492 00:45:46,420 --> 00:45:54,420 She spent her entire childhood making this movie, or a portion of her childhood making this movie, and really thought she was working with Santa Claus the whole time. 493 00:45:54,420 --> 00:45:59,420 Well the reason why I say that feeds into this next segment that I wanted to do, and this will be the last thing that we talk about today. 494 00:45:59,420 --> 00:46:24,420 I wanted to talk about Santa Claus. And I wanted to talk about Santa Claus because for me, there's a, I don't know, it's tough for me because I am somebody who values honesty, painful honesty, most of the time in my life. 495 00:46:24,420 --> 00:46:31,420 And Santa Claus is one of those times where I have found myself kind of going back and forth. 496 00:46:31,420 --> 00:46:38,420 Now if there's any children listening to this, I want you to know that what I'm about to say could be upsetting. 497 00:46:38,420 --> 00:46:49,420 So I think that I will get back to where the message that we should have here, or at least that I have here, and I think that it's a good one. 498 00:46:49,420 --> 00:46:58,420 And so I'm not going, if you are somebody who is open minded about what your children understand about this world, then let them listen. 499 00:46:58,420 --> 00:47:06,420 For many, many people in this world, mostly adults, Santa Claus is not real. 500 00:47:06,420 --> 00:47:11,420 I went through a long period of time where I didn't believe in Santa Claus. 501 00:47:11,420 --> 00:47:22,420 And I would, like I said earlier when I was telling that story, when I was younger, I would have punched you in the face if you told me Santa Claus wasn't real. 502 00:47:22,420 --> 00:47:36,420 But as time went on and I grew a little older, got my teenage years and started to be a shitty kid, I started to see the cracks in the case, if you will. 503 00:47:36,420 --> 00:47:39,420 I started to see that there were holes in the whole story. 504 00:47:39,420 --> 00:47:45,420 And it didn't really bother me. It was just another one of those things that, you know, well, parents are lying about it. 505 00:47:45,420 --> 00:47:51,420 So I didn't really think twice about it. I just accepted the fact that there was no Santa Claus. 506 00:47:51,420 --> 00:47:55,420 And that went on. That went on for a long time. 507 00:47:55,420 --> 00:48:03,420 I just didn't care at all about the legend or the story or the feeling or anything like that. 508 00:48:03,420 --> 00:48:25,420 And I can honestly tell you, as I sit here right now on Christmas Eve, finishing this episode, that I didn't care at all until my son, when he was probably four years old, said, there's no such thing as Santa Claus. 509 00:48:25,420 --> 00:48:32,420 And that hurt me in a way that I didn't, I never would have expected it to. 510 00:48:32,420 --> 00:48:41,420 I was still pretty young. I mean, I was a young father. So I want to say I was probably 25 when he said that. Maybe 24. I don't know. 511 00:48:41,420 --> 00:48:49,420 But it hurt. It hurt to know that I hadn't been able to kind of carry on that tradition from my parents. 512 00:48:49,420 --> 00:49:05,420 They worked so hard to really make, my mom especially, to kind of instill that wonder of the holiday and that legendary feeling of Santa Claus and him coming down the chimney and all this stuff. 513 00:49:05,420 --> 00:49:11,420 And I had lost that. I had lost the ability to transfer that into my children. 514 00:49:11,420 --> 00:49:14,420 And it really bothered me. 515 00:49:14,420 --> 00:49:24,420 It was one of those traditions that I never really thought about valuing ever once until it was gone and I couldn't do it anymore. 516 00:49:24,420 --> 00:49:31,420 Now, what I'm going to say here is probably not what most people would expect somebody like me to say. 517 00:49:31,420 --> 00:49:38,420 But I genuinely feel this. And this is as honest as I can be. 518 00:49:38,420 --> 00:49:54,420 Santa Claus is at once not real, a complete fabrication, and one of the most real things I've ever, I could ever even begin to understand. 519 00:49:54,420 --> 00:49:57,420 Now, let me explain that. 520 00:49:57,420 --> 00:50:14,420 The Santa Claus that we all know, the Santa Claus that is sold to us in the Coca-Cola marketing campaigns, and the Santa Claus that we like to focus on and think of, or even the Santa Claus that some people want to point out, oh, well, it's pagan and this and that comes from this and all that. 521 00:50:14,420 --> 00:50:16,420 None of that's real. 522 00:50:16,420 --> 00:50:36,420 Right? Like it's all just a made up concept that people want to push on you and they want to sell this and they want to use this. And in general, even if you are somebody that really appreciates those things, some part of you has to agree with reality that this is not a real character. 523 00:50:36,420 --> 00:50:38,420 This is not a real person. 524 00:50:38,420 --> 00:50:45,420 But, and this is a big but, I don't believe that's the end of the story. 525 00:50:45,420 --> 00:50:51,420 I don't believe that the idea of Santa Claus is fake. 526 00:50:51,420 --> 00:51:11,420 And what I mean by that is, you know, parents throughout this world, spend so much time, so much money, and so much energy, trying to push this, you know, what some people would consider a lie onto children. 527 00:51:11,420 --> 00:51:12,420 Why? 528 00:51:12,420 --> 00:51:14,420 Why do we do that? 529 00:51:14,420 --> 00:51:16,420 What is the point of it? 530 00:51:16,420 --> 00:51:26,420 And I, like I said before, I never would have understood it until my four year old told me he didn't, you know, he knew the Santa Claus wasn't real. 531 00:51:26,420 --> 00:51:28,420 And then I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. 532 00:51:28,420 --> 00:51:32,420 What do you mean Santa Claus isn't real? 533 00:51:32,420 --> 00:51:43,420 See, we put so much time and energy into it because the idea of Santa Claus, the idea of this, this mythical figure that 534 00:51:43,420 --> 00:51:59,420 goes from house to house spreading joy and goodwill and happiness and, you know, gifts, gifts that bring those things to you, you know, they make you feel special. 535 00:51:59,420 --> 00:52:01,420 You know, he has everybody's name. 536 00:52:01,420 --> 00:52:06,420 He knows if you've been good or bad, you know, all of these things make you feel special. 537 00:52:06,420 --> 00:52:08,420 They make you feel important. 538 00:52:08,420 --> 00:52:10,420 Santa came to your house. 539 00:52:10,420 --> 00:52:21,420 You know, this, this, this character from myth and legend cared enough about you to bring you that toy or to bring you that those toys, whatever it may be. 540 00:52:21,420 --> 00:52:24,420 And there's something about that when you're a kid. 541 00:52:24,420 --> 00:52:27,420 There's something about that when you're an adult. 542 00:52:27,420 --> 00:52:34,420 We all want to feel special and we all want to feel remembered and we all want to feel like we matter. 543 00:52:34,420 --> 00:52:43,420 And on this day, this around this holiday is one of those times where we can do that for each other. 544 00:52:43,420 --> 00:52:52,420 And so is the Santa Claus that we push on children and that we have in all of our marketing and things like that, is that Santa Claus that's real? 545 00:52:52,420 --> 00:52:54,420 No, no, he's not. 546 00:52:54,420 --> 00:53:07,420 But the Santa Claus and the spirit of this holiday and the spirit of this Christmas holiday is is very much real and very much alive and very, very important. 547 00:53:07,420 --> 00:53:22,420 And so when my kids for years, even now, even now, and they're all 20 plus now, even now, when they say, you know, Santa Claus is real, all this stuff, I'm like, well, why'd you buy this stuff then? 548 00:53:22,420 --> 00:53:24,420 Why do we have, why are we giving these gifts to each other? 549 00:53:24,420 --> 00:53:29,420 Just because that guy isn't coming down the chimney doesn't mean he's not real. 550 00:53:29,420 --> 00:53:31,420 Santa Claus is me. 551 00:53:31,420 --> 00:53:32,420 Santa Claus is you. 552 00:53:32,420 --> 00:53:34,420 Santa Claus is all of us. 553 00:53:34,420 --> 00:53:45,420 Santa Claus is the spirit of this of this holiday season of gift giving, of of showing the people around you how special they truly are. 554 00:53:45,420 --> 00:53:47,420 That's what Santa Claus is to me. 555 00:53:47,420 --> 00:53:54,420 And so when people tell me they don't believe in Santa Claus, well, I imagine they're just talking about the marketing campaign. 556 00:53:54,420 --> 00:54:07,420 But I hope every time I hear that, I hope that it's not that they just don't believe in the spirit of this holiday, because let me say this. 557 00:54:07,420 --> 00:54:11,420 And I can't there's no way you can't see my face. 558 00:54:11,420 --> 00:54:13,420 You don't you don't understand how important this is for me. 559 00:54:13,420 --> 00:54:21,420 You don't know you don't you can't necessarily read my emotion through the audio. 560 00:54:21,420 --> 00:54:28,420 But the spirit of this holiday is exactly what I'm trying to capture. 561 00:54:28,420 --> 00:54:32,420 It's the exactly what I'm trying to bring into this world. 562 00:54:32,420 --> 00:54:36,420 It's what the the pebble in a pond is all about. 563 00:54:36,420 --> 00:54:45,420 The idea that we can make these special these one little special changes these these little these little moments. 564 00:54:45,420 --> 00:54:46,420 Think about that. 565 00:54:46,420 --> 00:54:58,420 Think about how one gift, one moment, one hug, one look on this holiday on this day can change the course of somebody's life. 566 00:54:58,420 --> 00:55:12,420 Think about how important it is that you are able to reach out and hold the people close to you one more time on this holiday before before they're gone, before you don't see them again. 567 00:55:12,420 --> 00:55:27,420 Think about all the time that you spend, you know, in watching movies and trying to get yourself in the mood for the holiday and trying to bring yourself up and, you know, trying to fight the depression and trying to all the things that we do to try to make this special. 568 00:55:27,420 --> 00:55:30,420 All of that is Santa Claus. 569 00:55:30,420 --> 00:55:33,420 And I know that that's kind of, you know, kind of out there for some people. 570 00:55:33,420 --> 00:55:37,420 And I know that some people might disagree with that because they want to be literal about it. 571 00:55:37,420 --> 00:55:44,420 But I'm telling you, we are all part of the legend of St. Nick. 572 00:55:44,420 --> 00:55:45,420 All of us. 573 00:55:45,420 --> 00:55:48,420 We are all here to be that person. 574 00:55:48,420 --> 00:55:51,420 We are all here to spread that joy. 575 00:55:51,420 --> 00:55:57,420 And we are all here to push this world into that moment. 576 00:55:57,420 --> 00:56:05,420 The little bit of happiness that we can we can bring to others. 577 00:56:05,420 --> 00:56:09,420 It's it's everything. 578 00:56:09,420 --> 00:56:21,420 My favorite my favorite Christmas movie and the I guess Christmas moment in a Christmas movie for me is the end of the movie Scrooge with Bill Murray. 579 00:56:21,420 --> 00:56:24,420 And every year I watch it. 580 00:56:24,420 --> 00:56:28,420 I usually watch it alone, but sometimes I'll watch it with others. 581 00:56:28,420 --> 00:56:37,420 But there's the end of the end of the movie where he says it's not too late on Christmas Eve to have fun. 582 00:56:37,420 --> 00:56:40,420 You can call people that you haven't seen. 583 00:56:40,420 --> 00:56:42,420 You can call a college roommate. 584 00:56:42,420 --> 00:56:44,420 You can call an old army buddy. 585 00:56:44,420 --> 00:56:46,420 We can reach out to people. 586 00:56:46,420 --> 00:56:54,420 And then he goes in and he's you know, Frank Cross, the main character, he starts talking about, you know, you can do this and you can do that. 587 00:56:54,420 --> 00:56:58,420 And you can start singing Christmas carols. 588 00:56:58,420 --> 00:57:00,420 And he says, how did that happen? 589 00:57:00,420 --> 00:57:03,420 He says it happened because it was Christmas Eve. 590 00:57:03,420 --> 00:57:04,420 It's Christmas Eve. 591 00:57:04,420 --> 00:57:09,420 It's the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer. 592 00:57:09,420 --> 00:57:11,420 We smile a little easier. 593 00:57:11,420 --> 00:57:17,420 We cheer a little more for a couple hours out of the whole year. 594 00:57:17,420 --> 00:57:21,420 We are the people we always hoped we would be. 595 00:57:21,420 --> 00:57:23,420 It's a miracle. 596 00:57:23,420 --> 00:57:28,420 It's really sort of a miracle because it happens every Christmas Eve. 597 00:57:28,420 --> 00:57:32,420 And if you waste that miracle, you're going to burn for it. 598 00:57:32,420 --> 00:57:34,420 I know what I'm talking about. 599 00:57:34,420 --> 00:57:36,420 You have to do something. 600 00:57:36,420 --> 00:57:37,420 You have to take a chance. 601 00:57:37,420 --> 00:57:38,420 You have to get involved. 602 00:57:38,420 --> 00:57:41,420 There are people that are having trouble making their miracle happen. 603 00:57:41,420 --> 00:57:43,420 There are people out there that don't have enough to eat. 604 00:57:43,420 --> 00:57:46,420 There are people that are cold. 605 00:57:46,420 --> 00:57:48,420 You can go out and you can say hello. 606 00:57:48,420 --> 00:57:51,420 You can, to these people, you can take an old blanket out of the closet. 607 00:57:51,420 --> 00:57:52,420 You can say here. 608 00:57:52,420 --> 00:57:56,420 You can make them a sandwich and say, by the way, here. 609 00:57:56,420 --> 00:57:58,420 I get it now. 610 00:57:58,420 --> 00:58:00,420 I get it now. 611 00:58:00,420 --> 00:58:03,420 And if you give, then it can happen to you. 612 00:58:03,420 --> 00:58:05,420 The miracle can happen to you. 613 00:58:05,420 --> 00:58:07,420 It's not just the poor and the hungry. 614 00:58:07,420 --> 00:58:10,420 It's everybody who's got to have this miracle. 615 00:58:10,420 --> 00:58:13,420 And it can happen tonight for all of you. 616 00:58:13,420 --> 00:58:16,420 If you believe in this spirit thing, the miracle will happen. 617 00:58:16,420 --> 00:58:17,420 And then you'll want it. 618 00:58:17,420 --> 00:58:19,420 You'll want it to happen again tomorrow. 619 00:58:19,420 --> 00:58:22,420 And you won't be one of these bastards who says Christmas is once a year and it's a fraud. 620 00:58:22,420 --> 00:58:24,420 It's not. 621 00:58:24,420 --> 00:58:26,420 It can happen every day. 622 00:58:26,420 --> 00:58:29,420 You've just got to want that feeling. 623 00:58:29,420 --> 00:58:32,420 If you like it and you want it, you'll get greedy for it. 624 00:58:32,420 --> 00:58:35,420 You want it every day of your life. 625 00:58:35,420 --> 00:58:38,420 And it can happen to you. 626 00:58:38,420 --> 00:58:40,420 I believe in it now. 627 00:58:40,420 --> 00:58:44,420 I believe it's going to happen to me now and I'm ready for it. 628 00:58:44,420 --> 00:58:46,420 And it's great. 629 00:58:46,420 --> 00:58:48,420 That's a good feeling. 630 00:58:48,420 --> 00:58:53,420 It's really better than I felt in a long time. 631 00:58:53,420 --> 00:58:56,420 I'm ready. 632 00:58:56,420 --> 00:58:59,420 Have a Merry Christmas, everybody. 633 00:58:59,420 --> 00:59:00,420 I'm not going to lie. 634 00:59:00,420 --> 00:59:05,420 I didn't really intend to do a whole scene there. 635 00:59:05,420 --> 00:59:11,420 But it really is a special scene for me, especially this year. 636 00:59:11,420 --> 00:59:13,420 I'm 48 years old. 637 00:59:13,420 --> 00:59:20,420 And this is the first year that I've felt that to my core. 638 00:59:20,420 --> 00:59:30,420 So I'm going to leave you all folks with that moment of pure thespianism. 639 00:59:30,420 --> 00:59:34,420 I did not mean to do that, but it's on tape now. 640 00:59:34,420 --> 00:59:39,420 So I hope everybody has a good holiday. 641 00:59:39,420 --> 00:59:41,420 I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. 642 00:59:41,420 --> 00:59:48,420 Next episode, we're going to talk about, shockingly enough, the fact that it's going to be New Year's. 643 00:59:48,420 --> 00:59:52,420 And what that means. 644 00:59:52,420 --> 01:00:01,420 As much as I may have a dislike for certain holidays, Christmas being one of them usually, 645 01:00:01,420 --> 01:00:03,420 there isn't a holiday that I hate more than New Year's. 646 01:00:03,420 --> 01:00:07,420 So don't expect a lot of really happy thoughts about New Year's. 647 01:00:07,420 --> 01:00:17,420 But we will talk about the idea, and not just about New Year's, but about the idea of, you know, the fresh start, the renewal, the starting again. 648 01:00:17,420 --> 01:00:23,420 And we're going to go through and we're going to talk about, you know, what that means for a lot of people. 649 01:00:23,420 --> 01:00:26,420 So that'll be our episode nine. 650 01:00:26,420 --> 01:00:29,420 Shockingly enough, I've done this nine times now. 651 01:00:29,420 --> 01:00:32,420 Well, I will be doing it nine times. 652 01:00:32,420 --> 01:00:36,420 And I really do appreciate all of you coming along for the ride. 653 01:00:36,420 --> 01:00:41,420 Make sure that if you haven't followed me on TikTok, that you get a chance to get over there, 654 01:00:41,420 --> 01:00:53,420 because I've been putting out two to three videos every day, trying as hard as I can to stay up on it and get as much positivity and love and light as I can into this world. 655 01:00:53,420 --> 01:00:55,420 I'm going to keep working on this. 656 01:00:55,420 --> 01:00:57,420 I'm going to keep trying to build this up. 657 01:00:57,420 --> 01:01:03,420 And I hope that everybody that's listening understands that, you know, this isn't a flash in the pan for me. 658 01:01:03,420 --> 01:01:05,420 This is what I want in my life now. 659 01:01:05,420 --> 01:01:11,420 And I want people to really start to feel the change in themselves. 660 01:01:11,420 --> 01:01:14,420 And you might as well do that this holiday. 661 01:01:14,420 --> 01:01:16,420 You might as well do it now. 662 01:01:16,420 --> 01:01:17,420 So thank you again. 663 01:01:17,420 --> 01:01:19,420 Merry Christmas, everybody. 664 01:01:19,420 --> 01:01:35,420 And I'll talk to you soon. 665 01:02:19,420 --> 01:02:43,420 Bye.