Thought for the Day

Good Morning Scotland
Radio Scotland
Friday, November 28th, 2008

An exhibit on the History of Pantomime opens tomorrow in Edinburgh. All those famous Dames and baddies from across the decades. While Grand-dad might get all nostalgic, the children would prefer you kept the yearly ritual going by dragging them off to a real live Panto this winter.

You’ll be surprised how they know the plot already and what’s supposed to happen next and how they fit into their role as audience like a hand in a glove They know how it’s supposed to work

At the end of the evening when they’ve been pacified and put to bed in spite of all the sugar coursing through their veins – when you’ve finally combed the last of the popcorn out of their hair and you’re alone with your cup of tea at the table you might secretly wish that the plots in life were not so fixed.

Conversion. Recovery. Repentance. Hope. These all involve a departure from what everybody expects.

“I’m going to stop drinking”

- Oh no you’re not!

I’m going to learn to trust the people I work with

- Look behind you!

This new American administration may change the way America is viewed in the world

- Oh no it won’t!

In spite of the financial crisis I’m going to try and make time for my family

- Oh no you won’t!

You can feel it, can’t you - the suspicion that everything must remain the same?

The little producer sets his desk up out there in the seats during rehearsals and keeps yelling at you

- Yo, Twankey, keep to the script, dammit”

But isn’t that why the people gathered on high ground to hear Jesus speak. Or why the Hebrews agreed, grudgingly or not, to leave Egypt and walk East through the desert to the promised land?

Because some day the script could be different.

Because the force of habit is not one of the laws of nature.

Its grip on us may not be legitimate.

Men and women can be better than they thought,

They can be freer than they’ve been told they are allowed to be.