Walk a Kb or Two in my Moccasins- Nobody 'splained it to me like that!

Simple answers to Complex Questions and Complex Answers to Simple Questions. In real life, I'm a Greater-Toronto (Canada) Realtor with RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd, Brokerage. I first joined RE/MAX in 1983 and was first Registered to Trade in Real Estate in Ontario in 1974. Formerly known as "Two-Finger Ramblings of a Forensic Acuitant turned Community Synthesizer"

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Sunday, January 18, 2009

SantaMas, RetailMas ... considering the practical untruth about modern Christmas.

When a child discovers every scrap of "truth" they've been told about Santa is not true ... is it odd that the next question posed by the child is ... what else that you've told me is also not true?

Is it possible that the mind ... that created the idea ... that parents would deceive their children about the existence of a seemingly-wonderful person, whose annual, world-wide, overnight, reindeer-powered, sleigh-ride provided gifts to deserving children ... did NOT consider the ramifications and consequences within the dear-sweet-child's "trust node" when that child discovers that their parents have lied to them.

Surely... the creating mind must have considered the consequences of each child finally finding out that Santa was a fanciful lie .... A lie so fancifully impossible that each and every one of the dear-sweet-children and his/her friends/siblings had many discussions during the tender few years between 2 and 6, on the unlikeliness and/or improbability of 'one person being able to deliver all those presents, to all those places, in such a short period of time' AND had discussions about the "new and contrary information" received from older brothers/sisters about the Santa story.

BUT despite those discussions, each and every one of those children had tossed off the doubts, denied their own tiny knowledge of logistics and cast aside the opinions of other people because the source of their Santa information was ... their own parent(s)".

Is it possible to believe that the originating mind saw no potential harm? no chance of eroding the child's faith in their parent(s)?

Is it possible for us to believe that the person originating Santa Claus, thought that no child would be affected or insulted by the effrontery of the fancifulness of Santa's story being presented as fact, when each little mind discovered that they'd been deceived by a lie that served no purpose except to perpetuate itself as a lie?

Further, was there no consideration of the child's future reactions towards other information from the parent(s) when the child discerned that even though the lie's stated purpose was "for the kids' enjoyment", it really was for the adult's enjoyment and an excuse for the adult to buy themselves (and others) gifts they would not otherwise buy?

I cannot precisely recall my own personal experience, but I do know that I was cajoled into not spoiling the fun for my younger brother and sister and do recall still receiving the presents 'from Santa' after learning the truth about that lie. So maybe self-interest scuttled my indignation or maybe I didn't have any indignation at that age and in that previously, pretty-innocent state.

But as I think of the Santa story now ... it's just about the most distasteful thing I can imagine. Purposely telling an innocent, a crazy story knowing it was untrue, and also knowing that in a very short time, that belief would be shattered, when (inevitably) the truth was discovered.

Actually in terms of today's victims-everywhere mentality and considering the 'position of authority' of the source of this information and the vulnerability of the recipient ... it might just qualify as child abuse.

So it's mid-January, and given that, and notwithstanding that, (and for me probably because) we've just been through the "late December holidays" and heard the annual positions of:

1) "the reason for the Season" from the put Christ back in Christmas folks;

2) the politically-correct, inclusive-of-everyone-except-Christians alliance and their continued ardour for nothing more than "Seasons Greetings";

3) the rantings about "He wasn't born on Dec25th - it's the pagan Saturnalia you folks are unknowingly celebrating" from the First Century as-literal-as-possible crowd;

4) the people who now-know the unfortunate then-decisions of the leaders of the Ancient Roman church in sanctioning the syncretic adoption of pagan festivals ... but who cares ... everybody behaves most-like a Christian at this time of year ... lets encourage, not discourage that behaviour!


Let's never mind all that.

Instead let's do a favour to our children and get rid of the Santa lie.

Let's do a favour to ourselves and every senior generation from now on and get rid of the lie about Santa.

Let's stop this silly story from any further contribution towards the disintegration of the "faith and trust" bond between ourselves and our children ... or do we want to continue to lay the groundwork for our children to NOT believe what we tell them?

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