The Story Behind the Story, part 1: INSPIRATION--DON'T SQUELCH IT.

     Once upon a time, there were grandchildren, young and innocent. Their exposure to books--sweeping; to television--sparse.

     They were invited to be part of the Christmas pageant at church.

     "What animals would you like to be?" they were asked.

     Being well-read youngsters, they instantly replied, "Sloths!"

     Now, I don't know what the pageant director's response was--but I think the reply would reflect a great deal about the character of the adult, don't you?

     How badly we all need what I like to call the "edit function," where there's a little pause for rumination before blurting out, "Sloths weren't there. I need sheep and goats, or you could be a donkey," ...squelching the child's delightfully-imagined attendees at Christ's Nativity!

     How much better to say, "[Pause...hmm, why not?] Great idea! I bet this will be the best Christmas pageant ever, since no one has ever had the sloth family come visit the baby Jesus!"

     Now, I'll bet we've all been on the receiving end of the "skwellllchhh"...and, sadly, we've probably all been on the giving end, too. Alas. Let's vow to not stomp someone else's notions just cuz theirs don't conform to our own, preconceived answers! Oh, and, by the way--Thou Shalt Not Squelch Thyself! I think we're our own worst enemy when comes to stomping out our own eccentricities, non-conformities, and other CREATIVE answers!

     Back to the story behind the story--it was this little incident that gave birth to the first story I wrote for THE ANIMALS OF CHRISTMAS. The Sloths of Christmas were out in the boonies where the angels were announcing the birth of the baby Jesus. After hearing that wonderful new, the sloths just had to go to Bethlehem, but, being sloths, well...they met up with some difficulties along the way.

     What inspired the other stories? The sloths, of course! Frankly, the other animals just wandered on-stage and ker-plunked into place: camels, mourning doves, dogs, goats, and mice. Where would they have been w/o the germ of that idea, that little anecdote? Unborn. Squelched--an idea that never saw the light, the tragedy of an untold good story! Glad that I noticed that quiet little nudge of the Spirit.

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     Thou Shalt Not Squelch Thyself. Or anyone else.

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