Ho Ho Ho!!!

I was not feeling in the best of health but went to the Independent Living Center anyway and played my roll as Santa. This is not roll I relish but one which helps me keep my place among the people I have served and worked with over the years. I was particularly by a couple old farts, very close to my age, showed up. I believe both are now in long term care facilities. Looking much older then either of them deserves. One is Tom a peron who has` had MS for the past three decades. I gather Tom could have been quite the businessman had things in life gone different. But, MS being a respecter of no person came on Tom when he was in college allowing to to graduate but dooming Tom to live the rest of his father life with his dad then in long term care. Tom uses a power chair for mobility and is barley audible. His sile remains though and I genuinely like seeing Tom when I can. I should make more time Tom and I might.

Dave is the other old fart. Dave had a head injury, also decades ago. Dave actually had a life for a short while before the accident broke his skull. I first met Dave when I ran a men's group at the Center. I am sure Dave was a bit of a rascal in his days. There were glimpsed of his old self which peeked through when one took time to talk with Dave, He had grand though and is funny as heck just does not have much of short term memory or common sense—even though you would swear there was more there. It took a couple of months for me to realize that ol Smile'n Dave was just a little short but a hell of a guy to hang round. Dave was hemi-plegic from the accident. His right side was pretty messed up leaving Dave ability to ambulate by lurching forward dragging his right foot after him all the time clutching his paralyzed right hand in left. Dave would have been a perfect extra for Night of the Living Dead. Dave had that 1000 yard stare to his face but was able to twist his face in to a grin when the time was right. Time has thrashed Dave's body severely. He uses a` power chair now too. His hands and feet have atrophied way beyond function. I am amazed that both of these guys are still alive. They seem happy and glad to be among the living. Sometimes that is the best you get.

So it's over for another year, my playing Santa. It's hard to believe the thrill lot of the consumers get just to have their image taken with me. This is the big deal. I sit for two hours with a Mrs Clause as consumers, kids of consumers and staff file up face the camera an snap. Many of them know it is me, but they suspend their belief for a few seconds so they can have undeniable proof that one: Santa doe indeed exist, and two: Santa is my personal buddy.