RISK! Podcast – Holiday Blues #3

Host: Kevin Allison
Episode Date: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

This “Holiday Blues #3” episode from RISK! delves into the raw, poignant, and bittersweet sides of the holiday season. Host Kevin Allison introduces two deeply personal, true stories reflecting themes of revenge, loss, resilience, and the complex familial emotions that surface at Christmastime. Through these stories—one laced with humor and karmic justice, the other with longing, survival, and gratitude—the episode explores how holiday expectations can collide with harsh realities, but also how unexpected moments of connection and kindness can shine through.

Story 1: “Santa’s Revenge” by Michael J. Bennett

[02:48–11:43]

Key Points & Insights

• Rural Roots, Unusual Teachers:
  Michael grew up in a tiny Idaho town where his teachers were often the district’s last resort hires, including a coach named Tom who relentlessly targeted him.

  “We had some teachers that had burned their bridges in other school districts. They might have been on a sex offender list, and the only path they had left for teaching was in our school district.” [02:56]

• Unorthodox Education:
  Tom barely taught history and had a farcical method for final exams:

  “If you’re an A student, go ahead and get everything right. If you’re a B student, miss a couple. If you’re a C student, miss four or five.” [03:51]

• Aftermath of a Bad Education:
  Michael realized after graduating and failing at college that his foundational education was lacking due to Tom.

• Becoming Santa—and Finding an Opportunity:
  Years later, while working as a mall Santa, Michael encountered Tom, now with his young son, Billy, in the Christmas queue.

  “I sat there on the chair behind that white scratchy beard… and I looked that teacher in the eyes, and I realized he has no idea who I am.” [07:20]

• Karmic Holiday “Gift”:
  Instead of the typical Santa gentle lecture, Michael showers Billy with grand promises—lavish presents, a pony named Buttons, a fleet of toys—knowing Tom will have to explain the disappointment.

  “Santa’s gonna bring you a pony named Buttons for Christmas.” [08:50]

  “You stay out of this, Tom… Your behavior in your classroom has been entirely unacceptable. This is between me and Billy, so you stay out of it.” [09:16]

• Final Sweet, Cold Moment:
  Michael basks in the vengeful satisfaction of this reversal:

  “There’s an old Klingon proverb that says, revenge is a dish that's best served cold. And I gotta tell you, it was very, very cold on Christmas morning that year in Idaho.” [11:36]

Notable Quotes

• “Tom was sending me to the superintendent’s office on a pretty regular basis, and that usually meant I was getting hit on the butt with a hardwood paddle. That was just the way things at that school district worked.” [03:18]
• “Santa promised that little boy everything. Everything that he wanted and 50 things he hadn’t even considered. And Tom is just standing there rocking back and forth…scowling at me.” [09:47]

Tone & Memorable Moments

• Michael’s tone is wry, slightly sardonic, with a hint of gleeful mischief.
• The reversal of power—student becoming the arbiter over his old authority figure—is both comically satisfying and a little petty, in true RISK! storytelling form.

Musical Interlude: “Horny Sad Christmas”

[11:43–13:23]

A moody, darkly comic song about mixed emotions and holiday despair, capturing the edgy spirit of the show.

Story 2: “A Mom Made Christmas” by Jessica Piscatelli Robinson

[18:02–32:53]

Key Points & Insights

• Christmas Magic on a Shoestring: Jessica’s single mother—despite a divorce, financial hardship, and an often-absent father—always made Christmas special for her daughters with loving traditions, plentiful (if modest) presents, and acts of kindness to others.

  “Somehow my mom made Christmas just the best day of the year…there were just a million presents under the tree…they were individually wrapped socks and underwear. Nothing expensive, but it was just so great to have so many presents to open.” [18:30]

• Sudden Crisis:
  As a teenager, Jessica’s life is upended when her mother suffers a stroke. She and her sister Erica are thrust into caretaking roles with little warning or support.

  “I had to run out to the parking lot and just lose it. I started sobbing and howling. It’s not like I’d never been grocery shopping before…but it had never been my responsibility before. And I don’t think I knew it at the time, but maybe I sensed that that was the end of my childhood.” [24:45]

• Adjustment and Overwhelm:
  The sisters handle bills, meals, and try to navigate adult responsibilities while their mom struggles with rehabilitation, communication, and loss of independence.

  “It would be a long time before we figured out that mom would never fully recover…she’d never be able to read again, write, do math, drive.” [26:35]

• Facing a Bleak Holiday:
  With their mother stuck in a depressing rehab hospital and money tight, Jessica and Erica brace for their first Christmas “without” her.

• Community Kindness:
  Neighbors quietly help: a donated tree appears, and cash for Christmas is anonymously gifted.

  “One of our neighbors had left a Christmas tree by our front door. And another time, I found an envelope in our mailbox with cash in it that just said for Christmas.” [29:38]

• A Bittersweet Miracle:
  At the last moment, their mother is released from the rehab center. Jessica and Erica replicate the beloved cinnamon roll tradition, stuff stockings, and gather around the tree together—but Christmas can never be the same.

  “Mom had always made Christmas. She was alive, she was home with us, and there couldn’t have been a better gift than that.” [32:33]

Notable Quotes

• “She would hold me and rub my back and say, poor kids. And I told her we were doing okay. But the truth was, it was hard.” [23:37]
• “I didn’t want Christmas to come, but one day when we got home, one of our neighbors had left a Christmas tree by our front door.” [29:35]
• “There weren’t a lot of presents under the tree, but mom had always made Christmas. She was alive, she was home with us, and there couldn’t have been a better gift than that.” [32:33]

Tone & Memorable Moments

• Jessica’s narration is honest, vulnerable, occasionally wry, carrying listeners through grief, family duty, the awkwardness of roles shifting, and the quiet miracles of community support.

Commentary & Reflections by Kevin Allison

[14:06, 32:53, and interspersed]

• Kevin highlights the layered emotions in Michael’s story, noting the “funny side and a sad side”—and reflects on the unfairness for kids “not getting a square deal.”
• He introduces Jessica’s segment by framing her as a professional storyteller deeply attuned to life’s struggles and joys.
• Throughout, Kevin maintains a tone of empathy, solidarity, and encouragement for listeners dealing with their own “holiday blues.”

  “Okay, gang, I hope you’re coming out of the holiday blues, if you’ve had them…” [32:53]

Timestamps & Structure

• Introduction & Episode Theme: [01:32–02:48]
• Story 1: Michael J. Bennett, “Santa’s Revenge”: [02:48–11:43]
• Musical Interlude (dark holiday satire): [11:43–13:23]
• Host Reflection & Transition: [14:06–18:02]
• Story 2: Jessica Piscatelli Robinson, “A Mom Made Christmas”: [18:02–32:53]
• Host Closing thoughts: [32:53–34:11]

Memorable Quotes Summary

• “Revenge is a dish that’s best served cold. And I gotta tell you, it was very, very cold on Christmas morning…”
  — Michael J. Bennett [11:36]

• “It’s not that it was a big house, but without her there, it felt empty.”
  — Jessica Piscatelli Robinson [23:16]

Overall Tone

This episode balances irreverent humor, poignant reflection, and emotional catharsis—true to RISK!’s reputation for “stories you never thought you’d dare to share.” Listeners are left with the sense that while the holidays can bring disappointment and emotional valleys, they also spark unexpected acts of resilience and kindness.

For more personal storytelling, visit risk-show.com.