From guest blogger Michael Starrick, Senior Design Engineer at Lund and Company Invention, L.L.C.
(continued from previous post)
One little boy steals Santa’s heart. Santa leans in and and tells him how he remembers when he was only five years old and exclaims how big he’s grown. This child’s eyes brighten, he looks at Santa and then to Mrs. Clause. He hesitantly moves from his position seated next to Santa and I overhear him say to his Big Brother, "He knows me!” as they slowly walk off.
Throughout the rest of our time there I see this child several more times always checking to see if this 'guy' is real.
Each time I smile and my eyes involuntarily twinkle. I wish him one last "Merry Christmas!" as we leave our station.
This is what it is all about, the magic of Santa in a child's heart.
From guest blogger Michael Starrick, Senior Design Engineer at Lund and Company Invention, L.L.C.
(Continued from previous post)
It was time for the big reveal - 11:15 and WE ARE ON!
We walk through the crowd of faces bright with anticipation, and a few burdened by life, but we are here for them all.
We move to our station and the photographer gets set. Mrs. Claus and I settle in for the event. Child after child, gift after gift photo after photo then once again I am surprised at my new persona - I’m happier than I have been in quite some time. Laughter is easy, and the children are elated to see Santa.
From Guest Blogger Michael Starrick, Senior Design Engineer at Lund and Company Invention, L.L.C.
(Continued from previous post)
As we arrived at US Cellular Field, we got a few strange looks from the children - I think it was our two large suitcases.
As we moved upstairs we were met by the smiling faces of the staff that knew that some important meetings were scheduled between the children and Santa.
As I donned the costume, stuffed the pillows in the right places, and finally threw the large, green, velvelt sack over my shoulder, something happened. I was no longer me but . . . Santa!
The Ho Ho Ho!s became natural and I wanted to tell everyone to have a Merry Christmas. I suddenly had a strange affinity for milk and cookies. I couldn’t help myself.
From Guest Blogger - Michael Starrick, Senior Design Engineer at Lund and Company Invention, L.L.C
Being Santa
This past weekend I had the unique privilege of playing the part of Santa for children whose lives can be far from the experience of most children.
The day started out with a text from the person that usually plays the part encouraging me to channel my Inner Santa. I took care of the necessary preparations, packed and loaded up my Santa costume as well as the Elf costumes, and headed downtown. Travel to the venue was a typical Chicago commute with traffic where there should be none and clear sailing where there should be traffic, go figure.
Santa might ask the Elves how the child has been doing, and the head Elf reports that the child is doing well in school, or on the 'naughty/nice' list. Santa checks back with the young'n for confirmation, and of course, they concur.
Then there is the recollection of the cookies that were left last year for Santa, and Santa begs for more again this year, and they promise they will leave him some. As they leave Santa, gift in hand, the next child approaches, loudly and lovingly greeted by Santa by name. The departing child, if we have done our job right of creating a reality distortion field, a bubble of magic that they entered for a moment, will walk off into the world, stunned, amazed, perhaps enthralled that Santa REALLY knows them, remembers them, and perhaps always will.
That is what happens from the inside of the bubble of magic. It really can’t be seen from without. This year, in my absence from the Big Brothers-Big Sisters Holiday party, my head Elf Michael took my place as Santa. This year he was the source of the reality distortion field, the bubble of magic in which Santa and a child exist for a moment. It was a profound experience for him, as you will read.
