Today's Deep-Dive: Nightmare before christmas - the happy holiday edition

Happy holidays everybody. It's that time of year again. Yeah, and to celebrate

We're doing a deep dive into a story that really captures that that spirit the

spirit of the season, you know

Yeah, think excitement

generosity

Finding joy. Yeah, even a little bit about the magic of stepping outside your

comfort zone

I love that. I love it. It's a classic tale

It is with themes that resonate death that no matter what you celebrate this time

of year. Absolutely

Our main character. Yep, is incredibly successful. Mm-hmm admired by everyone. He

is

But he still feels like something's missing, right? Does that feeling sound

familiar to you at all?

Definitely, I think we all can relate to that feeling of like, you know, you've

reached a certain point

But there's still something more right even when things are going well

You know, even when things are going well, it's that yearning for something more

Yeah, that's a powerful motivator

It is and it's what sets our protagonist. Yeah, Jack Skellington on quite an

adventure on an adventure

Okay, so picture this Halloween town a place where every day is

Halloween

Spooky full of spooky delights. Yeah, and at the heart of it all is Jack Skellington

the pumpkin king the pumpkin king

Yes, he's beloved by his community. He is for his spectacular Halloween creation

Yeah, Halloween is his thing. But he's feeling what's he feeling a bit stagnant

stagnant?

Okay, kind of like he's done it all, you know, yeah, he's reached the pinnacle

Yeah of success in his world, but there's this nagging sense of emptiness

It's fascinating how even achieving your goals right doesn't always bring

fulfillment, right?

It's like I think it should right? Yeah, you would think so you get to the top of

the mountain and you're like, yeah

Alright, I made it. This is it. But then you're like now what now what that's kind

of where he's at

Okay, and that's what leads him to

Stumble stumble fun. Okay Christmas town. Oh interesting a place. That's like the

polar opposite of his own world completely different vibe

Yeah, okay. It's vibrant

Joyful full of warmth and wonder things

He's never seen things Jack has never experienced before right and he becomes

absolutely fixated on it

I mean I can understand it's shiny and new. It's so new. It's excited. It's like he's

discovered a whole new dimension

Yeah, like a whole different way of experiencing the world that can be both

Exhilarating and overwhelming wouldn't you say absolutely? So Jack tries to explain

this Christmas thing?

Oh boy, how's that gonna go to the residents of Halloween town this I got here, but

think about it

How do you explain Christmas to a bunch of ghouls and goblins?

It's like oil and water. I know it's not gonna mix. It's hilarious. It is a clash

of perspectives

Totally, they're excited for sure, but they also yeah completely misinterpret the

whole concept, right?

It highlights how our own experiences. Yeah shape our understanding of new ideas

Yeah, even something as seemingly universal as holiday cheer. Totally

Oh, and we can't forget Sally. Oh

Sally she's totally smitten with Jack. She is head over heels, but has these

Premonitions of disaster. Oh, no foreshadowing foreshadowing. I don't like it. She

sees this whole Christmas obsession. Oh

Going horribly wrong. Yeah, but no one listens to her warnings classic classic

It never ends well when you don't listen to the warning ever like, you know, right?

Yeah, you just know they're gonna go wrong

So she's the voice of reason. Yeah, she is the one who sees well one with the clear

eyes the potential consequences

Her picture, but her concerns are brushed aside happens all the time

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like you could see trouble brewing?

But no one else seemed to notice all the time. I feel like I'm always the one

Really pointing out the potential pitfalls and everyone's just like yeah

And it's like hello

See the giant red flags giant red flag gave me right in front of your face. It

could be incredibly frustrating

Frustrating for sure. So Jack gets this grand idea. Okay, what's the grand idea to

take over Christmas? Oh boy

He's convinced he can do it better. All right, put his own unique spin on it. Jack's

gonna put his own spin on it

Okay, and the townspeople. All right, always eager to please they love their

pumpkin king their pumpkin king

I do jump right in to help. I mean you got to admire their enthusiasm, right?

It's a testament to Jack's it is charisma and leadership. Yeah, but it also shows

how easily

Yeah, this is a good point group thing can take hold right?

Especially when especially when there's a beloved figure leading the charge leading

the charge and no one wants to question right a leader

So we've got the whole town. Okay, we go working on this crazy plan. I am ready.

They're making skeletal reindeer

Uh-huh crafting spooky presents. This is gonna be good even knitting a Santa suit

for Jack

Oh my gosh, it's both hilarious

It is and a little bit unnerving a little creepy, right? Yes. It really highlights

that clash. Yeah between these two worlds. They're just such

Different aesthetics different aesthetic night and day that Halloween aesthetic.

Yeah imposed on this right joyous holiday

It's like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, right? It's just not gonna

work and it sets the stage

or here we go some truly

Chaotic results. We're about to see some chaos unfold. Okay, I'm ready. So remember

those mischievous trick-or-treaters. I do lock

Shock and barrel the troublemakers. They are yeah, they're tasked with kidnapping

Santa Claus

Oh, no, but with very specific instructions to not okay involve their creepy boss

Oogie boogie don't involve Oogie boogie

Okay, got it, right? I feel like this is where things go wrong

You think I have a feeling Oogie boogie is the embodiment of yeah

Pure nightmare fuel sprayed up nightmare fuel even Jack even Jack knows better.

Yeah than to involve him

Yeah, you got to keep Oogie boogie out of it

But of course, well, of course things don't exactly go never do according to plan

It wouldn't be a very interesting story if they did right if everything went

according to plan those little troublemakers

Oh those guys don't follow directions

I knew it and their decision to hand Santa over to Oogie boogie

Of course sets off a chain of events here we go dominoes are falling that throws

everything into disarray

Chaos ensues. It's a classic example. Yeah of how even the best-laid plans

Can go awry right when you underestimate when you underestimate the chaos factor

chaos factor

You just never know what those little guys are gonna do right? Yeah, they're

unpredictable. It also speaks to the importance of

Delegation and trust. Yeah, something I'm sure you can relate to in your own work.

Oh

Absolutely delegating can be a double-edged sword

It can be you hope that the people you delegate to will carry out your vision

But yeah, sometimes it goes off the rails it does sometimes even when you give

clear instructions

You think you've been crystal clear you think so, but somehow yeah, the message

gets lost in translation

Things can go sideways go sideways if you don't have the right people in place 100%

you gotta have the right team

Yeah, that's a lesson. We've all learned. I think so at some point. I'm sure the

hard way usually the hard way

Yeah through trial and error. So as Christmas Eve arrives

Jack sets off. Okay in his makeshift sleigh

This is not gonna be good ready to deliver his own brand of Christmas cheer to the

world

Oh boy buckle up, but things are about to go very very wrong

I can't wait to see how this unfold you can't wait. I'm on the edge of my seat. All

right

This is gonna be good. Well, we'll see how it goes. All right, his gifts are

terrifying to say the least

Yeah, they're not bringing the Christmas cheer. He's spreading fear instead of

cheer, right?

But he's completely oblivious to the negative reaction. Yeah, he's just like

getting it

It's like he's seeing what he wants to see not what's actually happening. Yeah, and

we've all been there

I mean, we've all been there. Yeah, it's a great example of confirmation bias in

action

Oh, yeah, Jack is so convinced that his version of Christmas is fantastic that he

ignores any evidence to the contrary

Hmm. It's something we all need to watch out for yeah, especially when we're

passionate about an idea, especially then

You know, yeah, you got to be able to take a step back and be like, uh-huh. Is this

really working?

Yeah, it's this really what people want or am I just imposing my vision on everyone

else totally food for thought

Meanwhile Sally's frantically trying to Sally to the rescue undo the mess. Yeah,

she knows this whole thing's a disaster

Yeah, waiting to happen and is desperate to save both Santa and Jack. She sees the

big picture from the consequences

Yeah, she's trying to protect everyone right her bravery is admirable. Don't you

think I do?

I do. I think she's one of my favorite characters. He's awesome. Yeah, she's facing

some serious dangers

Yeah, huh to try to set things, right? Yeah, but unfortunately her rescue attempt

leads her

Oh, no right into the clutches of the villainous oogie-boogie poor Sally not oogie-boogie.

She's the voice of reason

I wrote this whole ordeal and constantly gets ignored. Yeah classic and now she's

in a truly terrifying situation

Boogie-boogie is bad news. It highlights the importance of speaking up

It does even when your concerns aren't immediately acknowledged. What if people

aren't listening right away Sally doesn't give up. No

She keeps fighting the good fight even when it seems like no one is listening. That's

the key, right?

Sometimes that persistence and so it makes a difference in the end. That's a good

point

You never know who you might be influencing right by just continuing to speak your

truth. Okay, so things

Oh, here we go go from bad to worse. It's about to get worse when Jack's

spooky sleigh

Gets mistaken for a hostile target. Oh, no and shot down by of all things

The military the military. Oh, no talk about a holiday surprise talk about a

Christmas surprise, right?

That's not the kind of surprise you want on Christmas Eve. Not the one you want. No

It's a stark reminder of how good intentions can backfire when you don't consider

the broader context

That's all about perspective, right?

I guess so like what might seem fun and festive to one group right could be

perceived as a threat by another

Jack's actions. Yeah, well meant to be festive. Uh-huh are perceived as a threat in

the real world. Yeah, that's a good point, right?

It's a powerful visual representation of that clash between his fantasy and reality

It's like a collision of worlds a collision of worlds Halloween versus Christmas

versus the real world

thankfully

Yeah, he survives the crash. Okay, good and lands in a graveyard

Interesting which seems fitting given the circumstances

I mean he is the pumpkin king it gives him a moment right to reflect on his actions

the tombstones

Amidst the symbols of his own world a little morbid, but hey, maybe it'll give him

some clarity

Maybe so it's a pivotal turning point in the story. It's surrounded by the familiar

Yeah, Jack finally sees the error of his ways. He realizes it has an epiphany

He's not meant to be Santa right that his true place is in Halloween town. He

belongs in Halloween town and

With that realization comes what comes a surge of determination. Okay, he ditches

the Santa suit

Good riddance reclaims his identity as the pumpkin king

There he is and races back to Halloween town to set things right to set things

right. It's a moment of redemption for Jack

Yeah, he acknowledges his mistakes. Uh-huh takes responsibility and sets out to fix

the mess

He's created. It's a reminder that it's never too late. It's never too late to make

amends, right?

You can always try to make things right and that true leadership

Yeah involves acknowledging our shortcomings owning up to your mistakes

But remember there's a time crunch tick-tock tick-tock Santa's still captive. Oh,

no

Sally's in danger. Oh, man Christmas is on the verge of being ruined

The stakes are high. So Jack has a lot to accomplish in very little time. He's got

his work cut out for him

He bursts into Oogie Boogie's lair. Oh showdown time ready to face this monstrous.

Yeah gambling obsessed

Oh, yeah, he loves to gamble boogie man in a final showdown. This is it

It's a classic battle of good versus evil the ultimate showdown full of suspense

and danger

Edge of your seat moment, but Jack

Yeah fueled by his desire to rescue Santa and Sally and redeem himself, right?

He's got a lot of motivation uses his wits to defeat Oogie Boogie. He's gonna have

to be smart about this

He remembers that Oogie Boogie. Oh, yeah is literally held together by threads. He's

just a bag of bugs

Oh, yeah, they're by threats and uses that knowledge to unravel him. Oh, that's

cloud sending those creepy crawlies scattering

You it's a satisfying defeat. It is of a truly grotesque villain

I mean, he's pretty gross right with Oogie Boogie out of the picture gone Jack

freeze

Santa and Sally they're safe. Talk about a holiday miracle. Wait, what a relief

But there's still the issue of all those undelivered presents, right? Christmas is

almost over

Oh, no, Santa's got a hustle safely and as a professional

He is got this the wave of his hand right and a sprinkle of that Christmas magic a

little bit of Christmas magic goes a long

Way sets off to deliver the gifts. He's on it and erase the traces of Jack's misguided

attempts clean up crew

It's a reminder that sometimes even after a major setback. Yeah

There's still a chance for things to work out in the end. Hope Springs eternal and

Jack

Despite his disastrous Christmas escapade. Yeah is welcome back to Halloween town

as a hero

They're a forgiving bunch. They understand that his heart was in the right place.

Uh-huh

Even if his execution was a bit off, maybe the thought counts, right, right and

they see his genuine remorse

Yeah, and his willingness to make things right. He really wanted to make things

right. There's a beautiful moment

Tell me about it when Santa flies over Halloween town

Okay as a gesture of forgiveness and understanding. That's nice. It highlights the

shared spirit of celebration

It does that unites both holidays despite their differences. That's beautiful. And

then something truly magical happens

What happens Santa gives Halloween town a gift a gift a gift a gift that perfectly

embodies the wonder and joy of Christmas

Don't tell me snow snow. I knew it. It's a transformative scene

The spooky landscape of Halloween town is covered in a blanket of white

Turning it into a winter wonderland. It's like a whole new world for them

It's a new experience for the residents right a chance to embrace something

different

Yes step outside their comfort zone a little bit and embrace the unexpected. It

symbolizes a fresh start

It does a reminder that even in the darkest spookiest places. Mm-hmm. There can be

light and joy

That's a beautiful thought and for Jack. It's a chance to finally acknowledge his

feelings for Sally. She's been waiting

She's been there for him through it all. I know supporting him. Mm-hmm warning him

Mm-hmm, and ultimately they're helping him find his way back. She's a true friend

under the falling snow. Ah

Their connection blossoms into something truly special love is in the air the

lovely ending

celebration of love it's except acceptance in the magic of the holiday season

Beautiful. What a story, right? It certainly is it reminds us to embrace the

unexpected

To be open to new experiences. Yeah, and to find joy in the most unlikely of places

Beautifully said and remember

What's the reminder Safeserver will be on holiday break? Yeah until January 3rd,

2025

We need a break. We do. We've been working hard our next deep dive

When is that will air on January 6th 2025 mark your calendar until then?

We wish you all a wonderful. Yes, and joyous holiday season. Happy holidays

everybody holidays

Yeah, it's interesting how this story highlights. Uh-huh the importance of finding

where you truly belong

You know, absolutely Jack thought he wanted to be Santa right to bring Christmas to

the world

Yeah, but ultimately he realized his true passion lay in Halloween. Exactly

it's a reminder that it's okay to explore different paths and try new things right

it's also essential to be true to yourself and

Embrace what makes you unique?

It makes me think of that saying what's that? The grass isn't always greener on the

other side. Oh, yeah

That's a good one. Jack was so focused on what he thought was missing in his life.

All right

He wasn't appreciating. Yeah what he already had that he didn't appreciate the

wonderful things

He already had and that's something we can all relate to wouldn't you say? Oh for

sure

Sometimes we get so caught up. Yeah in wanting what we don't have

instead of

Appreciating the good the good things in our own lives. Yeah, and Sally's character.

Sally is so inspiring

She is she stayed true to herself

Throughout the entire story even when she was afraid. Yeah, she's got courage. She

spoke up

Took risks. Mm-hmm and ultimately played a key role in saving the day. She's a true

hero

She is she embodies courage. She does intuition and unwavering loyalty

She's a reminder that we should trust our instincts right and stand up for what we

believe in even when it's difficult

Even when it's difficult. All right, so as we wrap up this deep dive into the

nightmare before Christmas

What do you think is the most important takeaway? Oh, that's a good question for

our listeners

Um for me, it's a reminder to embrace the spirit of the season

Yeah, no matter how you celebrate. Mm-hmm. It's about finding joy in the unexpected

connecting with loved ones and

Appreciating the magic that surrounds us beautifully said. Thank you. And remember

Safeserver will be on holiday break

We will until January 3rd, 2025. That's right a little time to recharge our next

deep dive

Yes, will air on January 6th, 2025 can't wait until then

Yeah, we wish you all a wonderful and absolute and joyous holiday season. Happy

holidays everybody. Happy holidays everyone