Life's Like That - Dec. 6, 2009

By Jerry Bullock

Adventures of Santa Claus …

On Friday I visited one of the area elementary schools, not as me but in the red suit, beard and antique round glasses of Old St. Nick himself. My mission was to help the school raise money through selling pictures of the kids with Santa. We began photographing at 8:30 a.m. and finished a few minutes before 1 p.m. More than 100 kids from kindergarten to fifth grade sat in my lap and told me the secrets of their desire for a visit from Santa (me) in a couple of weeks on Christmas Eve.

There was Henry and Michael, Alexandra and Avery, Kathy and Steven — all races and colors that make up our community and it was fascinating to watch their anticipation to see and talk to Santa Claus. Up through about the third grade there was no doubt who this fellow in the red suit, tasseled red cap and trimmed in white faux fur was. Here was Santa himself. From fourth and fifth graders there was less assurance but enough “maybe” to not take any chances.

What were the number one and two desires of our children’s hearts this season? It was pretty much a tie between Nintendo CS and electric scooters. One little girl told me she wanted CS and I told her I did not know what CS is. Certainly showed my ignorance. I told her it seemed everyone wanted CS and she responded, “Yeah, everyone except my stupid girlfriend.” I figure, wow it must really be something good. Then there was the veiled threat by one little girl who said simply, “Remember Santa … I know your face.”

It was not my first experience in the red suit. But it was the most intense as child after child came, took his or her place on my knee, told me how good they had been and their wish for Christmas. Then they said “cheese,” got their picture made, took their candy cane and went en masse back to their classroom.

In the end it was refreshing to see so many homes represented by a sense of the spirit of Christmas. Some of the children asked for nothing at all. One simply said, “I love you, Santa, and my mom and dad and my little sister and my aunt and uncle and Jesus.”

One thing I found that Santa brought with him wherever he went was a lot of smiles. As we went through the cafeteria and down the halls to take some group pictures everyone smiled and laughed … the spirit of Christmas past returned to welcome Christmas present. Santa got many hugs and high fives as his reward for the time he spent with these children and the faculty and staff of the school.

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” wrote newsman Francis Pharcellus Church in New York’s The Sun in response to a letter to the editor asking the question, Is there a Santa Claus? Most of us remember the opening line but not many recall his closing paragraph. It is worth repeating as we approach the Christmas season 2009:

“No Santa Claus? Thank God! He lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now. he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”

If you read it in The Sun it must be true. So it was in 1897 and so it is today. Remember to say Merry Christmas.



Jerry Bullock has written his weekly column for the Daily Record for more than 20 years. Jerry is a retired Air Force colonel, an ordained Baptist minister, professional counselor, military historian, speaker, and writer. He is a native Texan tracing his Texas roots to the days of the Republic.

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