Not ever going to play Santa
The movie Miracle on 34th Street is one of those things in my life much older than I am.It's a belief and fantasy flick released in June of 1947 about a divorced New York mom hiring an old guy to play Santa Claus at Macy's department store (remember good ole retail?) but then is startled by his claim to be the genuine fellow who is named Kris Kringle.
The plot thickens to the point that his sanity is questioned and a lawyer defends him in court by arguing that he's not mistaken.
I enjoyed the movie several times over the years and often considered playing Santa Claus as an adult a few times when the opportunity arose. An ersatz Kris Kringle if you please.
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Some venues state the numbers of "mall Santas" (if you will) will be "back to normal" while the true professionals who work in the field do not share this level of optimism.
Yesterday I donned my majestic Santa hat, went for a ride and handed out Christmas cards to some of my most favored vendors as well as a few neighbors — as I usually do this time of season ...
You know, Ricky's Tire and Auto, Chong's Alterations, Speedmart up the street, What A Burger, and a couple of homeless people I encountered panhandling intersections along the way.
At the actual vendor locations we had a few laughs and everyone marvelled at the really nice hat I was wearing.
I get one each year to celebrate the season.
That's about it for me and the Santa Claus part of Christmas.
I have been requested to play Santa before — but I respectfully declined because I'm inimidated at the thought of impersonating the jolly old elf.
It's a just not one of those things I envision myself as doing. Some of us are meant to play Santa. I apparently am not.