The gray sky matched the elderly man’s gray overcoat. Bundled against the cutting north wind, he walked quietly along the giant outdoor shopping mall’s main sidewalk. Shoppers bustled in and out of the stores, making the world look like a giant anthill had been kicked over. Bright lights and festive music tried to cut through the grayness of the day. The gloom was more than a match for the piped-in joy.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope with $1,000 in it and dropped it into a kettle. The bell ringer, an older black gentleman sporting a Santa hat nodded appreciatively.
“Business been good?” the old man man said.
“Yes, sir, Mr. Claus.” the bell ringer replied. Santa laughed. Little did the man know how right he was.
Santa Claus had decided to come south early this year. So many of his e-mails from little girls and boys had had a dark tone to them. Sure, there were the “I’d like an iPad” or “I want a doll” requests. But so many of them had requested things like for their parents to find jobs. Or for their families to keep their homes. Santa shook his head. He had not seen anything like it since the 1930’s. So he had decided to spend November and part of December walking the streets of America to see what was happening for himself.
He walked into an electronics store. The heat and a nice teenager greeted him with warmth. “Welcome to Electronics Universe, sir,” the blonde girl said. Santa smiled at the kid’s manners, said, “thank you” and headed back to the movies section. He wanted to get a DVD to watch tonight before he packed his sleigh.
He looked down at the shelves and couldn’t find a copy of Christmas Vacation (Santa thought Chevy Chase was hilarious). Nothing. He felt a tinge of frustration as he rescanned the aisle. His elves could make anything anytime. Or at least order it from the Internet. So Santa didn’t take not being able to find things well. But before he could say, “reindeer games,” he heard, “How may I help you?”
The employee was probably 50, smiling and had a twinkle in her eye. “You looking for Christmas Vacation? I think we got a shipment in today — let me go look back in the back room for you. ” And faster than Dasher, she zipped back to the back of the store. “I knew I had one. Anything else I can do for you?”
“Sure,” Santa said, “Tell me your story.”
The lady looked at the old man funny but felt enough peace that she opened up to him. “I was laid off last year. I was an executive assistant for a big company. I survived three rounds of layoffs, but apparently, someone in corporate needed a bonus. So after 25 years, my career was as Margaret Mitchell would say, “Gone With the Wind.” I struggled with being bitter for a while but found that bitter doesn’t taste very good and won’t help you keep your house. So I changed my strategy. This is one of two jobs I work. And I bake and sew on the side. It has been tough — very tough at times, but I’m so grateful for all of it. I consider this job my Christmas miracle.”
Santa thanked her, wrote a note to bring her a very nice present, paid for his movie and walked out of the store.
A short man with a very expensive suit joined him and said, “So Boss, what have you found so far?”
Santa scratched his beard and said, “People are angry. They’re scared. Some of them complain and have given up. But so many are just putting their head down and plowing forward. They realize the world has changed and they’re changing with it. It’s inspirational.”
The elf nodded and said, “Yup. I’ve discovered the same thing. I ate lunch today at a local restaurant. There was a former banker was my server. He said it was one of three jobs he worked to keep his family together. But he wasn’t complaining. He said that Winston Churchill once said that if you’re going through Hell, don’t stop. That was what keeps him going when he’s tired.”
Santa nodded and said “Get him a nice gift, too. That man is tired.”
Tired. That was the word he’d use to describe what he had seen. People he met were tired. The Great Recession had stripped the excesses off the people like a sandblaster strips off paint. But Christmas was still coming. No recession could stop it. He sensed that people would really appreciate the true meaning behind it this year.
“Did you get the egg nog?” Santa asked his assistant.
“Did you get the movie?” the elf asked his boss.
“Right in my hand. Have I ever mentioned Chevy Chase is hilarious?”
“One thousand times at least.”
“Call Mrs. Claus and tell her we’re on our way.” And with that Santa and the elf did like Willie Morris’ classic book and headed North toward home.
