May 30: Light of Heart, Publication, Breath

Uncle Scrooge had imperceptibly become so gay and light of heart, that he would have pledged the unconscious company in return, and thanked them in an inaudible speech, if the Ghost had given him time.  But the whole scene passed off in the breath of the last word spoken by his nephew; and he and the Spirit were again upon their travels.

One of my favorite scenes in A Christmas Carol is where the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to Fred's Christmas party.  Scrooge becomes so caught up in the festivities that he becomes "gay and light of heart."  I'm sure Scrooge hasn't had a reason to thank anybody for anything for a good portion of his adult life.  That's important.  The other important part of this passage is that the happiness Scrooge is experiencing is ephemeral, gone with "the breath of the last word spoken by his nephew."

I am gay and light of heart this morning.  I received an e-mail from the editor of an anthology of poems and stories being published by Wayne State University Press.  The editor told me that two of my poems were accepted by the editorial board for inclusion in the book.  In fact, one of the board's readers told him that my poems are among "some of his favorite in the collection."  So I'm feeling pretty good about myself today.

I know this elation won't last.  I have to pick up my wife's Subaru from the garage after work today.  That means I will be $1600 poorer at about 5:15 tonight.  Talk about being gone in a breath.

Right now, Saint Marty is going to bask in happiness, however fleeting that happiness may be.

Talk about taking the breath of happiness away!