A Santa's journey
Becoming Santa
Whether made or born, each Santa has their own unique story.
Mine begins with my Father and Mother who portrayed Santa and Mrs. Claus in the 1960's and 1970's, primarily for Church functions.
Fast forward to the early 1990's and as the Father of 2 daughters, climbing on a snowy roof in winter to stomp around and ring Jingle Bells was not unheard of in our home at Christmas time.
It was that timeframe in my family’s life that our home was taken by fire on Dec 15th. The fire was a total loss that left us displaced for almost a year.
In the subsequent days following the fire nearing Christmas a Santa visited our temporary lodging.
The Joy and sense of normalcy that Santa's visit brought our family and especially our children during such a chaotic and turbulent time cannot be overstated. That visit was a God send that would stay with me always. I now knew my calling, I wanted to do for children what this man had done for my family.
A few years later, In what seemed a rather natural course I donned the Big Red Suit primarily for Family and Friends, and the occasional paid gig here and there. Even my youngest Daughter joined in as my first official elf.
Now in semi-retirement, the prospect of dedicating more time and resources to being the best Santa that I can be has taken on its greatest significance to date.
Purchasing new professional outfits and accessories, investing in personal growth and development by attending seminars and certificated training for professional Santa's ( yes there IS a Santa School ), and applying all that I have learned and experienced from all these years as a Santa, have taken me to today.
This quest to become the best Santa, the most extraordinaire Santa that I can be is a never ending pursuit which requires dedication, continual education and adjusting to ever changing circumstances.
