Where did Santa Claus go? My musings on politics, life, and DU'ers

[The Straight Story]

When I found out that there was no Santa, I cried. I lost someone that day I believed in, someone I knew and cared about. I lost an institution, and I was only 7 (yeah, I was a little slow...).

And yet - Santa remains, my daughter gets a glean in her eye at the thought of he and his reindeer. The magic of Christmas for a child is like little else, and it all got me to thinking tonight......

There are some things people just want to believe. Follow that by re-enforcement by others, and that thing you want to believe becomes real in your mind. It does exist, because it exerts an influence. In that sense, it is real. And we become attached to it.

The Dali Llama once remarked about the Lake people up around Tibet. They flew flags to honor the spirits of the lake. Of course, he remarked, you may not believe those spirits exist - but those people do and it affects their life, hence they do 'exist'. To understand and deal with the people you must take into account what is real to them.

When I talk to little kids, I am careful what I say about Santa. Many believe, and that belief can shape things about them this time of year. They have more hope, more dreams, more magic.

And I see it with us adults as well - in politics and other areas of life.

'Our' candidate is Santa. We defend and recommend. We take offense when the beard is pulled off.

Our religion, our philosophy in life, our leanings in many other areas - are in some ways like Santa.

It does not mean what we feel is not real, and our thoughts are not right. But then we must consider the other person we are talking to - and are we attacking their Santa?

Reality, as I learned at 7, is a bitch. But then too I learned that the lies about Santa were not all really lies. Some guy was the basis, and parents over the years have carried his torch and played his role. A myth became a legend, a dream became a reality to some, and what was false became partially real.

And in it all I learned something years later when I told my oldest son. He was down, but now he too could help me fool his little brothers - he was on the inside now. A helper - someone who could give dreams to little kids, someone who could smile as he brought a magical joy to them.

And so it goes with life, and here on DU. And all over the world really. Things we thought real are exposed, and yet they hold some truth in them.

WMD's in Iraq, Clinton, bush, Obama, Kucinich, and so many more things - Someone somewhere is believing in their Santa. A magical person who is working away for their benefit, to bring them joy and dreams - to save them in some ways from what is out there.

We believe maybe that this Magical Person is the solution to our ills in this world, and perhaps (depending on your own point of view) that is indeed partially true.

But the real Santa, the one who does all the work behind the scenes, the one who sacrifices day in and out to make it all so special - is none other than you.

For none of these people would have the following they do if the real Santas were not out there making it happen.

We give credit to our Heroes - From MLK to whomever you have in mind - and while they were great indeed, it was the many who took up reigns and kept pulling the sleigh that made it all possible. It was each person who protested for the rights of others, each person who wrote letters and donated, each person who puts thought into their posts to help along an ideal.

We have our BIG Santa's we stand behind, but in the end - it is all the little ones who kept it alive and going. When we lost Martin Luther King, we did not lose the ideal. It lives today. Because we grew up, and took over for the real Santas behind the legend - and we made it grow and work.

Where did Santa go? He and Mrs. Claus are right here on DU - delivering the gifts after working their butts off campaigning and researching. They are here posting each day their own thoughts and ideals, keeping the dreams alive.

Santa's suit isn't red, it is a rainbow of colors stitched together from the threads of our diversity.

I believe again now that I am 41. Santa IS real, and I talk to him here everyday.

[wtmusic]

1. Santa works at DU?? But...but...I thought he lived at the North Pole

:cry:

Nice post. I guess even Cheney has a Santa. :crazy:

[The Straight Story]

2. Cheney's santa lives in Iraq :)

Riding a WMD while passing out oil to his buddies ;)

[angstlessk]

3. That brought tears to my eyes...cause you posted so much hope in one

very poignant post. When I saw your other posts, I thought, good Straight Story knows people care and is responding...your wife is a wonderful poet..and this post just brings it all home for me. Thanks and may god bless you and your family...forever..and may Santa visit you and me and all the DUer's every day of our lives! :hi:

[The Straight Story]

4. I barely posted for days I was so down

But I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and it wasn't a train, it was my computer screen filled with the posts of my friends here.

[annabanana]

6. Hi SS. .

Glad to know that some of the fog has lifted.:hi:

[angstlessk]

7. I seldom go to links on peoples sig lines...but those poems are POWERFUL!

I wonder how I knew you were the real deal when I never knew you...now I do. Reading your poetry is soul wrenching. What more can I say?

[The Straight Story]

8. It was mainly written in another dark time in my life, but one filled with hope

Two women I was in love with, one pregnant I later learned, missing my kids and friends who had died - all while living alone in a crappy motel room 2200 miles from 'home'.

Thanks for reading them, I still like reading over them myself to remind me of what was and is, and what could be. It was a crazy time in my life. Fresh from a divorce and missing my boys, finding life on my own for the first time, and trying to restart a life that was lost and found all at once.

[Monkeyman]

5. Oh No Homeland Security shot Santa down air space washington

[NanceGreggs]

9. What a beautiful thought ...

"Santa's suit isn't red, it is a rainbow of colors stitched together from the threads of our diversity."


K&R, my friend.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. Very wise words well said

Tatsam Asi (You Are That)

[eridani]

11. A Zen parable with a slight seasonal revision--

First there is a Santa Claus.
Then there is no Santa Claus.
Then there is.

Thanks for your post :hug:

[stellanoir]

12. I was always deeply troubled by the myth of Santa Claus.

I remember feeling as a little kid the very same way I felt at the onset of the * "misadministration."

"They're lieing" I thought in both instances.

As a kid, when I had the truth about the myth of Santa (in far more indelicate terms) verified externally by others to me, on the elementary school playground, like most of us did back then, I thought, "why on earth would parents pretend that the greatest magic that existed throughout the year wasn't a total myth? Why would they insistantly purport this divisive ruse to bribe us into pretense and further promote disingenous behaviors. . .? Why should I ever again trust what they say?"

Many years later, when I became a godmother of five and a mother of one, I was determined that each and every one of those kids being able to discern between the benevolent spirit of generosity that inspires and enhances us all to share as freely as we are able, and a human being who implausibly went down all the chimneys world wide with "lots of gifts for all the girls and boys" in roughly 24 hours, garnering copious amounts of cookies and milk and a few carrots. . .yet they're likely to see as many Santa clones as reindeer on an average shopping trip to the lame assed mall. Right.

Kids don't buy into the lie really, and the more astute ones never, ever, ever have, for the most part. If ya really know how to speak with them they'll mostly tell you that.

Kids who inherently understand myths, symbolism, and spiritual inspiration are far less likely to be programmed into becoming idiotic adults who can be lied into an unjust war based on bogus intelligence (aka sheer stupidity). That's the bottom line.

Yet furthermore, to further illustrate my case.

One of my friends' only son was named Nikolas.

He tragically died in Iraq last year.

He had sustained a horribly horrific leg injury in boot camp that was never treated properly, or given, or allowed the opportunity to heal. He gimped his way through two tours in Baghdad until a suicide bomber took him out.

His mom often tells a funny story about him from his youth. She was struggling, raising him on her own with scarcely little support. He had strongly desired a semi expensive winter coat. She saved and had bought it for him making the sorts of sacrifices that mother's often do.

He arrived home from school one day sans jacket.

She was a bit irked over its absence and inquired of him as to the whereabouts of his coat. He said, "oh I gave it to so & so. His family is much more worse off than we are."

Even as an early teen, he embodied the true spirit of Christmas and the premise of helping those less fortunate than ourselves, perhaps by virtue of his first name. He was hardly neoconic having that particular attribute. (wicked understatement)

In reverence of Nikki I humbly ask you to consider, in honor of his spirit
which passed on in part, due to lack of discernment between fact and fiction, and thinking myth was reality (cakewalk-flowers and candy anyone. . .?)

PULLEASE STOP LIEING TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT BASIC MAGIC.

I implore that you consider reminding them of what they already know regarding truth and metaphor, (or as I say to the authors of so-called (and not so) intelligent design) and conversely, science and poetry.

Maybe go google the flying spaghetti monster for reference.

Little ones are smarter than we and IMHO we will need them to be so, if we've got a prayer and they are mostly well aware of the mythic realms.

We raise them on fairy tales for pete's sake. (who the heck is pete anyway. . .?)

If we do so, perhaps NONE of our kids will ever, ever, ever, again, have to die for a lie. Because they won't ever again fall for it.

Nikki RIP pal.

(It's silly I know, to talk to a spirit online but was just compelled to do so as it is common place & who the heck knows?)

[SeattleGirl]

13. Thanks once again for another fine post.

I'm glad things are better for you, not only because you deserve it, but because I've missed your wonderful posts (yes, I'm a little selfish).