Ho Ho Ho

Ho Ho Like a Rock Star

I was surprised to learn my friends at the local independent living center had been following my medical escapades closely the past couple of months. I had thought it odd that that my buddy Kim had not yet called as asked that I be the Santa at the annual Center Christmas party. I have been playing the Christmas gnome for the fifteen or so years. It’s a good gig, and even an interesting gig but maybe a gig, I thought which was getting a bit old. As the date for the event drew closer I started thinking that maybe they were not going to call on me this year—which was fine with me. I would have to disrupt my daily schedule take public transit over to the center dress up in the Santa suit and then have to sit with consumers for at last two hours as they march up and have their picture taken with Santa and then have to retrace my steps back to my office to return calls and play out the rest of my day. I thought I could use a break. So I waited for the call and I was really beginning to believe I had been replaced when I happened to sit next to the executive director of the independent living center and she asked if I was coming and I related I had not yet been contacted.

The director assured me, emphatically that she/they most definitely wanted me to show up and play the starring role of the afternoon. I sighed and let her know that I would be delighted and have my friend Kim call me and work out the details.

The day off the event was beautiful—a perfect day for public transit. Kim had offered to send the van to fetch m from the train station, which was alright by me.

Kim and I have done this operation so much we seem to dance through the dressing ceremony, after I had been fed pizza in back of the/center’s “Great Room”. I slip on the wig and the beard and Kim slides the Santa top over my shirt and this year we don’t is the bright red pants and plastic boots which always looked hokey anyway. Dressed we thread our way to the front of the room by going the back way. No one has seen us yet—The director is leading the congregation in Christmas carols and she sees that we…I am ready and does the signal song,”Jingle Bells” which is the sign for me to start ringing my bells and making the great elf laugh of “ HO HO Ho.” I rev up my power shower and bolt out of the shadows and out into the crowd amid thunderous applause and yelling. I know it sounds corny but for a small instant I know “it’s me they’re coming to see”. For a moment I am a ‘big man” I am bigger then life” for these folk…for a moment I am a super star, their super star, for a minute I AM Christmas.