Santa Musings

Somehow I came out of the Santa job without a single image of myself in costume. That suit was so hot, one Santa told me he lost a belt notch to dehydration the first week. I, on the other hand, felt I was in a Tim Allen movie, as my belly grew noticeably in a few weeks as Santa. It wasn't enough to replace the phony belly bag I had to wear in my role. Why does Santa have to be too fat to be healthy? Some older European versions were slim.

I took my Santa duties seriously, vowing to brighten kids lives, when they came in to see me. It was a revelation to me, because I didn't even know I liked kids. At a very early age I realized I didn't want to have kids, and never did to my knowledge. My jobs never put me in a position to deal with lots of children. Wal-Mart came the closest, and I remember feeling compassion for some of the kids I saw there for their home lives were worse than anything I had experienced growing up. That feeling came back, while doing Santa.

As I reported earlier, Nintendo soundly thrashed both X-Box and Sony. Somewhere since Christmas I caught a glimpse of television with an ad for the Lego Star Wars and understood why it was a popular choice. I'll bet that ad was in frequent rotation. Strong movie tie-ins put Transformers into the top three, and I'll bet they had a saturation ad campaign going, too.

The Santa union petitioned the government to put Santas high on the H1N1 vaccination priority, since Santas had to handle kids all day and some were bound to be sick. Santa union? I didn't realize there was one. I knew of two organizations who recruited Santas, but a union?

I'm looking for more of a Santa Society dedicated to brightening as many lives as possible 24/7. It can't be limited to children, although they would still be a priority, and it can't be limited to a single season. Many religious groups claim to share this duty, but their results don't impress me.

It's time to trim my beard. It is swallowing my face and getting caught in straps and zippers. It will be back to Santa size by next winter, but it needs some quick size reduction now. I think my next persona will be Uncle Sam. The specs stay the same, I have the hat, and the beard's smaller.

There are some other items higher on the to do list. First, my next show is coming in February at Food for Thought. The display concept fell into place in my head yesterday. An alternative for my unavailable flickr archive is still an issue. I've looked at the remaining 200 images several times, but still haven't decided what to do with that site. It could be time for an upgrade. I looked at Zenfolio. Their base rate was close to flickr and offered more services, and I found myself wishing I could afford their premium service level.

It's First Night in Missoula. Events start at noon and roll into the new year. I've got my batteries charged, and I'm packing my camera bag. My first stop is MAM for the jazz. The university has many good performers in close proximity for easy walking. I'll have to get back downtown for the Volumen and El Zombi Gato at the Palace, plus Wartime Blues at the Old Post. I wonder what the weather is going to do. The forecast says wintry mix, which is not a good thing. I don't want my car downtown at 2am, if the streets are dangerous, and the possibility seems likely. Walking might be as dangerous as driving, and I might not be in shape to walk.

As always, life is full of so many possibilities.

Santa at the Mall and the Archetype

Some people aren't serious enough about taking care of their kids. This photo was emailed to me and I am using it again, because it illustrates a problem in this country. As Santa, I'm seeing a lot of it. We must all take responsibility for the children. In short, I'm taking my Santa duties to brighten the lives of all the children I encounter very seriously.

Some children are filled with desires for presents. The Wii is very popular this year; Dsi is often repeated, because it has the music options. Musical instruments are desired by more 7 and 8 year olds than I would have thought. Barbie is still popular. Having a special gift for Mother or Father was the uppermost concern to about one-third. Some children were brilliant shining with good will, intelligence and creativity, while others screamed in terror as their parents forced them towards the strange guy in red.

My prejudice against Santa comes from the kitschy Coca-Cola Santa I grew up with. The roots of Santa are deep, going back to Scandanavian, German and Celtic gods. It turns out he is an ancient archetype, and can be found in many forms in many cultures. He carries a sack and arrives at each village with a jangle of bells or a flute trill. Kokopelli was thought to be a hunchback, because of the bag he carried. Hotei also carried a begging bowl. He ate the food people gave him, and used money place in his bowl to buy toys and treats for kids.

The image at the top of this post was captured by an RMSP student, while I was modeling for a class. The beard is longer now, and it really works for the Santa gig. I don't have the belly, however, and the pillow we used yesterday was uncomfortable. My ho,ho,hos are improving, but I can't do them and smile at the same time, which is what I am required to do most. My face is already half frozen. The Santa suit is so hot I'm thinking of doing a weight loss video entitled Sweating with Santa. Of course, the weight loss will be due to dehydration. Note to self: keep water handy.

Life is looking good. I invited the American Humanics Student Association to share the Palace with my photo show 5-8 pm, during the First Friday Gallery Walk in December. They needed a venue for a benefit. They bring a raffle, two bands and Mayor Engen to the event. How does it get better? Mark December 4 on your calendar, come see my photos of Missoula Women Making Music, hear Butter make music and meet the mayor.

The Original Holiday

Am I the "bah, humbug!" type a friend asked. Oh, yes, indeed I am. I try not to rain on anyone's parade, but Christmas just does not melt my butter. I think the lies about Santa Claus were the beginning of my disaffection, and it grew, as the holiday was an annual disappointment. The music was awful, too.

When my doubts about the existence of the jolly old elf in red led me to ask my parents, they assured me he was real. I launched an energetic defense against my doubting peers, but when I discovered they were right, my parents had lied, and I had born the scorn of my friends for it, Christmas lost it's glow. Years later, my parents resented the grandparents honest answer to my sister, when she asked the same question. I was with the grandparents, because honesty saves embarrassment.

Later, I would discover Santa wasn't the only fraud linked to Christmas. History showed no evidence whatsoever that Jesus was born on that date, or even that time of year. Placing it on the calendar was a political act.

The solstice was the original holiday, and, for me, it is still the true holiday. The ancients studied the heavens, and they knew the movements of the sun and stars, the progression of the seasons and the faces of the moon. Their rituals were linked to those natural cycles.

The winter solstice merges reality and metaphor. It is the turning point of darkness and light. The sun, our primary source of light and warmth, seems to have moved away, and the nights are long. The solstice marks the time when the dark has grown to its greatest point. Now the sun will turn back to the northern hemisphere. Many ancients celebrated the birth or rebirth of their gods at or near that time. Apollo, Baal, and Sol Invictus were all dedicated to the return of the undying sun. The solstice also marked the resurrection of Osiris. Choosing December 25 as Christ's birthday made it easier to convert the worshipers of Mithra, whose birthday was being celebrated on that day, with just a simple name change.

The solstice signifies a turning point in an eternal cycle. It symbolizes revival, renewal, recovery and resurrection. The old is discarded; the new is introduced.

Everything must be treated tenderly and with care at the beginning so that return leads to flowering. Hurry nothing artificially. The flowering of spring is still a distant hope, but we move towards it, and the ripening which will follow.

Ching says return is the stem of character, which leads to self-knowledge, as one turns from the confusion of external things and back towards the inner light. The oracle also says it is always wise to follow the examples of good people. Return leads to success.

I like that bit about turning away from external things. It is a counter-point to the yearly greed fest god's birthday has turned into. As I said, I celebrate the solstice. Darkness has peaked, the sun returns and spring is on the way. It is time to nurture small things and prepare for the new year.