There's a dark side to holidays that rarely gets talked about.
The holidays are a great time for people to connect with family and friends, sure, but what
about those who feel disconnected from all that? Not everyone has a loving family, not everyone
gets the opportunity to see their family on the Christmas. Some of us spend Christmas time alone.
It can definitely get pretty lonely, especially when you go
outside and see everyone smiling and laughing with their families.
It’s kind of like Valentine's Day. Couples are able to make the most out of that day,
but what about singles? If you’re single you probably either hate Valentine’s Day, or you
do what I do and use it as a great excuse to buy yourself some chocolate, and yes I am well aware
of how sad that sounded. Buying yourself gifts and treats on the holidays is a form of self-love,
but that defense mechanism can only survive for so long before that lonely feeling creeps back in.
While rewatching a couple of Christmas specials from my childhood,
simply for the sake of nostalgia, and maybe even a video idea, I stumbled upon a special titled,
“Ed, Edd n Eddy's Jingle Jingle Jangle” And I was very surprised with how meaningful
the story is. I've noticed that in most of these cartoon Christmas Specials there’s
either one scene or multiple scenes where the main character is depressed, and lonely, and this
episode is no exception. So I was thinking maybe I can use this as a way to come up with ideas to
make the most out of this holiday. I think what I came up with is worth taking into consideration.
So, Ed, Edd n Eddy is easily in the top 5 for best Cartoon Network shows of all time. This show,
and probably Chowder are the go tos if you’re feeling nostalgic and need a good laugh.
Also, am I the only one that thinks this show is very similar to Peanuts?
The fact that there are only 12 characters total, you never see any background characters,
the small neighborhood setting, and how all the characters in the Cul-de-Sac are jerks to Eddy
I can’t help but think this show was at least inspired by Peanuts. This Christmas special
in particular gives me “It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas” vibes with its story, but I digress.
This special begins with Eddy up to his suspicious ways as usual. He isn’t man enough to wait until
Christmas morning to open his presents, and then gets disappointed when they don't meet
his expectations. So then he has this grumpy attitude, and then cries to his friends about how
he only got clothes for Christmas… then Double D, being the goody two
shoes that he is, tells Eddy he needs to adopt a better attitude, and discover the “true meaning
of Christmas.” That's pretty much the plot to every classic Christmas special in a nutshell…
As cheesy and cliche as that sounds, he’s got a point. Eddy, of course, doesn’t listen to his
friend’s advice, and instead comes up with a plan to steal everyone’s presents for his own gain.
We all know the feeling. When you don't get any presents, or you don’t get the gifts you want,
it’s only natural to feel a certain type of way about it... especially when you’re young.
Eddy is so disconnected from the spirit of the holiday that he goes to the lowest of the lows
to try and satisfy his materialistic cravings. But hey, you’ve got to respect the dude’s impressive
ability to give no damns and have no shame for anything he does. I seriously want to know how he does it.
Anyways, he tries his best to scam the kids in Peach Creek,
but they all reject him, and his selfish desires.
Eddy believes Christmas is a pointless holiday if he’s not getting any gifts that appeal to him.
Because of this limited perspective, he feels alone.
With nothing else to do, he decides to give this whole “giving” thing
a chance. He replaces a lightbulb on a Christmas tree, and to his surprise,
it helps him feel better about himself. Double D then acknowledges Eddy’s unselfish gesture.
Giving can be as simple as giving a random stranger a smile
or a compliment. It can be as simple as donating to charity. Or in this case, it can be as simple
as replacing a light bulb on a tree. When I do a random act of kindness for someone else
it makes me feel better about myself. Whether or not I get rewarded for it isn’t in my control,
and honestly isn’t really that important. There’s a sense of self-pride that comes from being an
angel for some stranger. People will remember your random act of kindness because they understand how
unnecessary the action is and wouldn’t do it themselves. I know this because when people
do random acts of kindness for me, I remember it years later, even if it’s something small,
and insignificant. Small actions can have a
massive impact on people. In the words of Eddy:
And that may be the most cheesy line of all time,
Trust me, I know, I was laughing my ass off when he said that, but the core message is valid.
I’m not gonna bs you with the ending, Eddy doesn’t learn his lesson,
he takes everyone’s presents as soon as he gets the chance, but we can,
at the very least, appreciate his short lived moment of good intention. So if you took anything
away anything from this video remember there’s satisfaction that comes from giving to others,
Ed, Edd n Eddy is still better than any modern day cartoon, and you’re awesome for being here.
I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you who have subscribed,
donated to the channel, and have supported me throughout this year.
Without your support I honestly wouldn’t be where I am today.
The success of this YouTube channel has changed my life in more ways than you’ll ever know.
I’m truly grateful and I’m looking forward to whatever 2022 has in store.