DZ-Jay's Random Blog - Christmas Carol: A Short Story - Part III

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I ended the last post suggesting that my motivation for finally writing the Christmas Carol story book had to do with a very special girl. Actually two. A lot has happened in the intervening six years since I developed the game and wrote the original single page essay introducing the full story.

Since the game came out in 2012, I have not only grown older, but I've become a grandfather -- twice! I've seen my granddaughters grow up from little drooling pod-people into beautifully cute little precious girls that call me "wello" (a cutesy and childish corruption of the Spanish "abuelo," meaning grandfather). The oldest is now 4 years-old and when she spends the night, which is often, she loves for me to read her a bedtime story.

Every time that I read a "Peppa Pig" or "PJ Max" or a Dr. Seuss' story, or whatever, my wife reminds me how they could be growing up with Christmas Carol, if only "someone were to just get down to work and write it down." (Yes, she's persistent like that.)

Then recently it dawn on me that my little precious granddaughter is 4 years old today, but only yesterday she had just been born; which means that she'll probably be driving to college or getting married by next week -- and very soon she'll lose the magic of Christmas and Santa Claus, and adopt adult themes and tendencies. And it broke my heart to think that she would grow up without ever even knowing that there was a little blonde girl elf who saved Christmas in a world of magic and joy, by recovering the presents stolen by an Evil Snowman.

And that was it. My wife gave me a look of "I told you so!" (more like "I've been telling you so for six years"), and now I'm committed to writing it all down before the end of the year. The plan is to finish the story by the end of October or early November, draw some illustrations to accompany it, and print at least one copy (probably more since there is often a minimum) to give to my granddaughters for Christmas. Then, on the very first occasion right after that, to read it to them as an episodic bedtime story.

She will be 5 years-old in December, still well within the "Santa Magic" age. There's still time, but it's running out fast.

So, I have a task and a deadline, and as you can see from the number of recent blog posts, my procrastinating tendencies are in full effect. No worries, though. I have a very strong motivation:

I have a mission.

The children of the world are counting on me.

I must save Christmas.

(And in any case, I can always count on my loverly wife to push me -- by guilt or whatever means -- to finish the book.)

Next post, I'll touch on the progress of the book. See ya'!

-dZ.


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