It’s that time of the year again, and yours, truly is once again playing Santa. There are two places I go to for the last few years, one is a home for developmentally disabled adults, and then 2 nights later I do their annual holiday dance. The home has only 8 people, and they love me! Who wouldn’t, I’m Santa after all. The dance includes over 400 individuals who get their picture taken and get to tell Santa what they want.
The dance usually takes over 2 hours with picture taking of each individual or sometimes his or her boy or girl friends included. The temperature in that suit reaches the point that I start to sweat, through the beard, the hat, and the suit!
But the worst part is the physical abuse your body can take. For instance, posing with someone very small or vary large causes you to strain your own body. Those that are physically disabled require extra effort to get into the picture with them.
But the best thing about playing Santa is that people believe. They express love, and I try to give it back. I work on my HOHOHO’s, and I try to image what Santa should do. It makes my holiday for sure.
There is a big closet at the end of the General Purpose Room where the dance is held, in there I dress and hide out until the curtain call. The live band plays and suddenly the MC makes the announcement, and the big wooden door opens and out Santa comes. Joe Del Bloggolo has disappeared into space somewhere, and Santa takes over. Once out that door, they charge Santa, grabbing him and hugging or kissing or slapping him on the back. God, that feels great!
If I had the power to give them a gift, it would be the gift of healing, so they would be home with their families, rather in a dance because they are disabled. I am grateful for the opportunity to do this kind of thing. It makes me do for someone else, besides myself. I truly believe that to attain true happiness, your actions should be the reason you smile, and see others smiling too. What I do to make people smile, make them laugh and more importantly, put them in the spirit of the holiday is my gift to myself.
1 comment:
The Prayer of St. Francis says in part: It is in giving that we receive. I think he had you in mind, Santa.
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