joegoda | Such a joy!

Tonight I got a treat! I was just flipping through the channels as I do when I can't sleep or aren't ready to. I fell into the Twilight Zone of the late 50's. There before me, big as life, or big as my television screen was Art Carney! To this day he remains one of my acting heroes, because of his versatility and his simple way of translating the EVERYMAN onto the screen. He was performing, this night, as a man who becomes Santa Claus, another of my heroes, because of HIS versatility and his absolute tolerance of all that is good and decent.

Before Tim Allen did The Santa Clause... which, by the way, is MY favorite Christmas movie, there was Art Carney in a Twilight Zone performing the very same concept. In truth, all Christmas movies are my favorite as long as they are well acted and scripted. They all tell a story of hope and joy and offer a promise that things really will turn out all right.

It's a poorly kept secret that I believe in Santa Claus. Every December 24th, since I was very young, I stay up on Christmas Eve, just to listen for the hoof beats of eight raindeer.

It is also a poorly kept secret that I wish I was Santa Claus, with the ability to, at least once a year, bring to all the good and decent people of the planet, one thing that is their true hearts desire.

That heart's desire isn't always a toy, of course. It might be just enough money to get caught up. It might be a medical bill that needs to be taken care of. A true hearts desire is sometimes something that is needed, rather than just wanted. In fact, I'm sure it is a true hearts need that adults would require as a gift. There is a point where need outweighs want. And I think that may be a very good definition of being an adult.

Now, there are some that say it is far too early to think about Christmas. To those I say Bah! Humbug! It may be too early to be selling Christmas. It is never too early to THINK about Christmas. To think Christmassy thoughts. It is the one time of the year when we all, even for a very brief moment, believe and hope that we are all, truly, children at heart and that it really is a good place to be.

This is my Christmas wish for all of you! May this year, the remainder of it anyway, bring you joy, bring you happiness and may it bring you that one heart's need. That one thing that will enable you to breath easier, for at least a little while. That one thing that will enable you to raise your head up and smile, knowing that things really will turn out all right.

Because, really, they will.

Merry Christmas, everybody!