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Two weeks 'till Christmas. Seems like as good a time as any for this post.
Around this time last year something came to me, a minor notion that grew and blossomed into a full-fledged idea.
The seed of the notion, the gamete of this whole thing, is a scene from the movie Love Actually. For those unfortunates who have not yet seen it, spoilers follow. The scene in question involves Andrew Lincoln's character going to the door of his best friend (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, better known to Browncoats as the Operative) and his best friend's new bride (Keira Knightley). Said bride has recently become aware that Lincoln's character has long masked a secret love for her under a veneer of studied indifference and emotional coldness. "Its a self-preservation thing," he succinctly explains when his deception is revealed. So, as stated, he comes and knocks on the door, and Keira Knightley's character answers. For fear of being discovered he plays Christmas carols on a handy boombox, and communicates with her solely through a series of hand-written cue cards. After a bit of preamble, we get to the good bit:
"But for now, let me say," he says in silence, "without hope or agenda, just because its Christmas -- and at Christmas, you tell the truth -- to me, you are perfect."
Last year around this time I made a post about it. And more to the point I made a pledge. It worked out OK, in the end, and so I have decided to renew the pledge this year. And, as I did last year, I lay open the pledge to any and all who want to join me. Should you so desire you can post the pledge below in the blog of your choice. Or not. Follow your bliss.
The (Second Annual) "At Christmas You Tell The Truth" Pledge
For 10 days, between 12:01 AM on Yule (December 21st) and 11:59 PM New Year's Eve (December 31st), I hereby pledge to tell the truth, if I'm asked. I don't mean I'll tell it non-stop; I know better than to imagine that the little white lies that lubricate socialization can be done away with completely for that long a stretch. But during that interval of time if you ask me something, anything you think is important (and perhaps prod me a little if I seem to have forgotten), I promise an honest answer. If you've ever been unable to get a straight answer from me about something, this will officially be the time to ask.
Around this time last year something came to me, a minor notion that grew and blossomed into a full-fledged idea.
The seed of the notion, the gamete of this whole thing, is a scene from the movie Love Actually. For those unfortunates who have not yet seen it, spoilers follow. The scene in question involves Andrew Lincoln's character going to the door of his best friend (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, better known to Browncoats as the Operative) and his best friend's new bride (Keira Knightley). Said bride has recently become aware that Lincoln's character has long masked a secret love for her under a veneer of studied indifference and emotional coldness. "Its a self-preservation thing," he succinctly explains when his deception is revealed. So, as stated, he comes and knocks on the door, and Keira Knightley's character answers. For fear of being discovered he plays Christmas carols on a handy boombox, and communicates with her solely through a series of hand-written cue cards. After a bit of preamble, we get to the good bit:
"But for now, let me say," he says in silence, "without hope or agenda, just because its Christmas -- and at Christmas, you tell the truth -- to me, you are perfect."
Last year around this time I made a post about it. And more to the point I made a pledge. It worked out OK, in the end, and so I have decided to renew the pledge this year. And, as I did last year, I lay open the pledge to any and all who want to join me. Should you so desire you can post the pledge below in the blog of your choice. Or not. Follow your bliss.
The (Second Annual) "At Christmas You Tell The Truth" Pledge
For 10 days, between 12:01 AM on Yule (December 21st) and 11:59 PM New Year's Eve (December 31st), I hereby pledge to tell the truth, if I'm asked. I don't mean I'll tell it non-stop; I know better than to imagine that the little white lies that lubricate socialization can be done away with completely for that long a stretch. But during that interval of time if you ask me something, anything you think is important (and perhaps prod me a little if I seem to have forgotten), I promise an honest answer. If you've ever been unable to get a straight answer from me about something, this will officially be the time to ask.
