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Although ghost stories are a popular tradition at Christmas, the tradition is more for pleasant terrors. If you’re reading a classic Dickensian-style Victorian story, chances are you’re going to get an ending in which wrongs are righted and justice is served. If you’re enjoying a Jamesian story of antiquarian exploration and dark ancient forces, at least it still feels far removed. And when the terror strikes, it’s not overly gruesome and more subtly disturbing.
Ghost stories can be escapist. Which makes it all the more concerning for me, as this year, I’m not offering up a pleasant terror from long ago. As per usual, the setting is domestic, the concerns very contemporary, and the ending, while admittedly ambiguous, is not terribly hopeful.
Even worse, it’s a pandemic story. The one thing no one wants to think about this festive season. The thing we all want to put behind us…
Oh well. It’s a bit late to worry about what’s popular. These are the stories that come my way. We can’t hope for everything to be as clean and deliberately purposed as it is in fiction.
And there is something to be said for hearing and understanding other people’s experiences in difficult times. It shows us that our problems are not unique, that we are not alone in going through our struggles. We can also be grateful for not facing the kind of extreme crisis that the subject of this case is going through.
I’d like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The last two Christmases have been tough; this one will also have its complications. But tough times don’t last forever. And if we keep our loved ones close and can find some joy in what we have, we will persevere and make it through.
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The Self-Isolated Christmas | New Ghost Stories Podcast 25