Yep, that’s me, your not-so-humble editor, as Marley’s ghost in “A Christmas Carol” at a local theatre here in Philly. I had the privilege of rattling my chains and saying those classic lines to the gathered audiences during a 25-show run. (FYI, the acting thing is a hobby of mine. I tried bowling but I’m terrible at it.) And even though I trod those boards five years ago, Marley still haunts me to this day. Like him, we all “wear the chains we forged in life, link by link and yard by yard.”
Dickens reminds us, through his ghostly apparition, that even we “good people of business” like Marley and his partner, can get bound and burdened by the very thing to which we dedicate our lives. I know first-hand having daily responsibilities, events to attend and deadlines to meet, can shut you off from the world around you, harden you to those less fortunate. To a greater or lesser degree, we all have our “inner Scrooge.” But now we have a few glorious days ahead where we can lighten our own load by thinking of others, doing for others and getting into a spirit that I hope makes its ethereal presence known to us all through the rest of this year and the next. -jf
Here are a few worthy causes if you feel like throwing off a chain or two:
- NATE Tower Family Foundation: In 2019, the Foundation has awarded $295,000 in direct financial assistance to affected families and has donated $821,000 to eligible benefactors since the organization’s launch in September 2014.
- Hubble Foundation
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