Will You Get Presence from Santa This Year?
When I was in high school I worked for a local mall as a kind of on-call entertainer, performing variety shows and roving magic to keep families of shoppers amused and happy.
One year the marketing director of the mall approached me and asked if I would like to play Santa Claus for their December Christmas promotion. I was seventeen at the time, and after deciding that it would be a great challenge I began the task of transforming myself from a lean teen to a plump and rosy octogenarian. I took portraying the character seriously and made quite an effort to supplement a basic outfit from the local costumer shop with enough well-positioned pillows, pieces of foam and make-up to play the part convincingly.
The most fun element of the event, however, was the planned entrance. The mall had arranged with a helicopter pilot to fly me from the city’s local airport directly to the shopping center, where I would land in the parking lot and hop off to greet the excited children of the shoppers.
The day arrived and the thrill of the helicopter ride over my small town had me already wide-eyed in fascination with the flight, but my eyes grew wider still when we reached the mall and I looked down into the parking lot that had been cordoned off for the landing and saw that thousands of children had gathered for “Santa’s” arrival. I could hardly believe the turnout, and suddenly I felt quite nervous about who and what I was representing.
Once I got off the helicopter and took my seat in the Santa chair I didn't move for about five hours as more children than I could possibly recount--and a few adults--sat on my lap.
To us as adults, of course, the idea of Santa is in the realm of whimsy. But for the children who jumped up on my knee, this was no casual event. They believed in this embodiment of goodness, kindness, charity and cheer with innocence, vulnerability and sincerity. The older children especially were piercing in both their visual and verbal examination of me, making sure I really was Santa. I won their faith and conviction and had the privilege of close contact with their passion and imagination. I was glad I had taken my uniform seriously, whiting out every last hair of my black eyebrows and glueing every inch of my fake beard down to my skin.
Paying careful attention to the details of life can make a big difference for ourselves and others. The popularity of the saying, “God is in the details,” arises from a common knowledge that details are important. Our attentiveness and responsiveness to them is certainly a vital component of excellence. Tucking in our shirt can land us a job. Signaling a turn in traffic can prevent an accident. Smiling at a stranger can create an unseen ripple of grins that continue to be shared throughout the day.
It's easy these days to feel like things don't matter and we can't make a difference. We euphemize our apathy by thinking we're just being casual, but getting too laissez-faire results in casualties of excellence. We could say that a casualty is anything that perishes due to our inattention to detail, whether it is an opportunity, a personal value or the spirit of somebody we interact with.
It could be useful to consider that the popularity of Santa and the holiday spirit has more to do with presence than with presents: the presence of mind and presence of attention that allows for kindness and compassion.
The Arrival of Santa
Quotable
"Christmas always sucked when I was a kid because I believed in Santa Claus. Unfortunately, so did my parents. So I never got anything."
Charlie Viracola
Past Newsletter Topics
Kindness Heals Everyone
Get Out of Jail Free
3 Things to Remember in an Economic Downturn
If You Love Something ...
Does Your Success Need an Audience?
Perfectionism or Professionalism?
What Doesn't Kill You ...
Ever Had One of Those Days?
The Power of Humor and Relaxation
Rick's Agent Friendly Site
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Rick Lewis has been entertaining and inspiring audiences for the last 30 years. The success of The World's Funniest Waiter over the years is based on clean, interactive comedy and high-level circus skills.
