I used to be the resident Santa when I worked at the Independent living Center. Resident Santa means I'm at the facility not necessarily residing but working called up and sent the duty calls after leaving independent living going to look for the state I was called back to be the Santa every year it seemed unless I was in the hospital/rehab are the pandemic shut everything down including the Santa visit. However this year in an effort to go back to the “before times” I was asked again to betray the great rotund Christmas elf. As I mentioned in yesterday's post normal times I would just access the local transit network to reach the center but with the advent of the snow dump a couple days ago and the fact that nobody clean sidewalks or curb cuts or even bus stops it would've been impossible for me to get into the Center by public transit. Luckily, the independent living Center has many wheelchair accessible vehicle and today, even though they were super busy with the event, they've dispatched Janice longtime employee out to my apartment together me in and drive me into the event making a 20 minute trip what used to be at least an hour and 45 minutes and just as long returning.
I didn't know if I'll be able to pull this off next year (the Van pickup) and if I make it to next year but that sure would be nice to have another trip in. It's funny how things change. As I understand the staff at the independent living Center which generally some lies a pretty decent holiday meal at this event that Covid restrictions prevented the meal. Instead small holiday packages/sacks of a hodgepodge of candies, mini pretzels, and snack mix as well as one Apple and as one small tangelo actually not a bad deal. Inside the bulging paper sack was a smaller sack full of candy goodies which I put into my snack reservoir for watching movies.
It's kind of funny about the most activity I do in this volunteer position is my shouting of “Merry Christmas” a number of times as I enter the room following their last Christmas Carol. I'm quickly escorted over to the “Santa area” placed in position and basically sit there as consumers come by and get their images taken with me. Over the years I've actually passed out small gifts and are treats like candy canes are small snack packages. This year I had nothing to pass out just my goodwill. I often wish that individual merit Christmas and happy new year and sometimes I asked them what they like for Christmas and many times they tell me what they want for Christmas. I always dodged the question somehow and things I guess work out because I'm invited for the next year. Maybe it's one of those things where those in control/power just know I will show up regardless of the job that I do they will have somebody to fill that slot for the consumers to enjoy and perhaps that's the best gift I can render during this madcap holiday season…
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