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Merry Christmas, everyone!


122-2008-12-19

Big Bang Theory Has the Spirit of Christmas
(And the Spirit of Human Kindness)
By W. Owen Thornton

Okay … so it was more a Saturnalia Miracle than a Christmas one, but the spirit is the same.  If you don’t know the program “The Big Bang Theory” it’s a situation comedy with four male geeky brainiacs trying to make their way in the world and one normal girl-next-door who has more common sense than the four scientists put together.  Leonard is the love interest for the girl next door but it is Sheldon who is the completely dysfunctional brain who just doesn’t understand or appreciate common conventions such as gift-giving at Christmas.  In this week’s show (December 15, 2008) Penny, the girl next door introduces the notion of a neighborly gift exchange.  She already has her gifts in hand.  Sheldon is mortified because he knows that one of the conventions surrounding gift giving is reciprocation.  “You haven’t given me a gift.  You’ve given me an obligation.”

So, Sheldon goes out with two of his fellow geeks and ends up buying a half-dozen or more bath product gift baskets.  His plan?  Open Penny’s gift, leave the room with fake gastrointestinal difficulties, google the value of her gift, return with the bath basket of equivalent price and return the rest.  But Penny’s gift undoes poor Sheldon.  She gives him a lightly used napkin.  On it?  “To Sheldon: Live long and prosper.  Leonard Nimoy.”  It turns out that Mr. Nimoy had dropped into her restaurant where she is a waitress and she thought enough of Sheldon to procure Mr. Nimoy’s autograph.  Not only has she given Sheldon the signature of his life-long hero, but because Mr. Nimoy wiped his mouth on the napkin.  Sheldon now has Leonard Nimoy’s DNA: He could create his own Leonard Nimoy with a fertile ovum!  As planned upon receiving the gift, Sheldon leaves the room.  But upon his return, instead of just one gift basket, Sheldon returns with them all.  Turns out no gift he could buy would equal that which Penny has just given him.  This geek of a man ends up doing the unthinkable.  He gives Penny an awkward, but heartfelt hug.

Have you guessed then, why I have told you this story here at www.thehumankindnessproject?  Well, it’s because the spirit of Christmas lies not in untold riches, but in a single act of human kindness.  Human kindness lies in investing of yourself in others, such that you know them well enough to give them something simple and basic … and something that is beyond their wildest dreams.  Granted I don’t think Penny knew the extreme reaction she would receive from Sheldon: that is part of the character’s charm to be sure.  But without robbing her of her moment, Penny, the character in the drama performed a great act of kindness to another character, Sheldon, by doing something for him that he could not do for himself.

As I have aged, gifts have become less meaningful.  Oh don’t get me wrong.  I don’t mind a little Western world hedonism especially when it comes my way, but often it is the gifts where there is no price tag wherein the great gift of Christmas lies.  As I slowly thaw out from under my going-back-to-school coma and I’m able to look at the world around me, I’m beginning to believe that I have been the recipient of a great miracle.  That miracle isn’t one that I could have planned for.  It isn’t one that I could have asked for … in part because I never knew it could exist.  My miracle?  It is the love of my wife, Carrie.  Lately, as I have thought of her, I am as bowled over by her loving me for over 25 years, as Sheldon was when he saw Leonard Nimoy’s signature on a lightly used napkin.  Don’t dwell on the comparison too long, as I think it diminishes the true gratefulness and love I feel for my wife when I think of her … as nothing can compare to her … especially NOT a lightly used napkin with Leonard Nimoy’s name on it.  Sorry Leonard, buy my hero was always William Shatner … yikes!  And I wouldn’t trade that napkin for a single moment spent with Carrie!  (Though I wouldn’t sneeze at a napkin signed by Leonard Nimoy either!)

But back to my point.  This Christmas … in the midst of an economic meltdown … maybe we should return to our humanity just a little, and set aside our avarice and greed for just this year, and maybe we can give one another gifts like Penny gave Sheldon … or ones like my wife gives me every moment we are together.
I know … I know.  This note is filled with drippy Pollyanna sentiment.  But I’ve always wondered just how jaded we’ve become when we sneer at Pollyanna!  What, exactly, is wrong with having deep, feelings for one another and expressing it where the world can see them?  I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.

God Bless, you … everyone … whether you believe in Christmas … or not.  May you all have your own special miracle this Saturnalia Festive season … er This Christmas Season.

And … so I don’t leave you hanging, Saturnalia was a time of revelry in mid winter during the days of the Roman Empire.  As Sheldon explained, people brought green bows into their homes during this dark time of year.  This tradition was later usurped by the early Christians and the Christmas Tree was born.  Just a little trivia as provided by the writers from The Big Bang Theory … not entirely accurate or retold well here, I’m sure!