I don’t think it’s too much of an exageration to say that this year has been rough for some of my fellow Santa types. I have had a pretty good year, lots of great visits, television commercial work, voice over work in record amounts, and other blessings.
On the flip side my beloved friend Maisie had to be put to sleep and I’ve dealt with more than the usual number of prospective customers who have not been respectful of my proposals. I try very hard to get back to vendors if I decide not to hire them for something when they have quoted me a price. This year I’ve had very few potential customers get back to me about dates I’ve saved for them. This is a big deal in my field – the time we have to work as Santa is very limited. If I hold a date for one person, it means I can’t accept another’s offer of work for the same date. At least call me back or email me with your rejection. I’d like that much better than wondering.
A lady I know well is the secretary for a Santa group I belong to for professional reasons. She works very hard to spread the spirit of the season and keep us all busy. This year she and I have talked at length about some of the disturbing things we’ve encountered from the public and members of the Santa community. She has graciously accepted my offer to write for the blog. Her letter to me is posted below the fold. I have edited it only for readability and a bit of punctuation. I also redacted any names in the post to avoid making anyone more crazy than usual. I hope you take a moment to read her thoughts. She is a good Christian woman who loves Santa, loves kids, and loves her God. And I appreciate her writing this for me to share with you. [A personal note: I know the people involved here and can vouch for the wonderful visits Santa X does. He’s a quiet, gentle man who respects and honors children as people, not just little $ signs. Loud Santas are often bad Santas. He’s one of the good ones.]
