My middle-age encounter with Clarence

“A Christmas Carol” has tweaked our collective imaginations for generations. The positive transformation of a miserly misanthrope accomplished by ghostly visitors is priceless.

Today, we have many audiovisual interpretations of Charles Dickens’ novella featuring ever-popular clanking chains and sepulchral voices.

However, there is an old film that also employs a supernatural Christmas visitor – “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Some critics dismissed the 1946 film as “canned corn.” I disagree.

In the film, Clarence (an angel) saves the protagonist from ultimate despair by revealing to him a bleak view of his world if he hadn’t been born. It’s Dickens with a different twist.

I first saw “It’s a Wonderful Life” when I was middle-aged and mired in self-doubt. Afterward, I felt imbued with a new, life-changing attitude as I recalled forgotten incidents where I may have made a positive difference for someone.

Later, I wondered why I had missed seeing that movie for years. Was it happenstance? Destiny? Or, just maybe, it was Clarence dropping by opportunely to work his magic in jolly old Cleveland.

I prefer to believe in cinematic angels.