The Rural Voice, 1988-12, Page 10IrirgIN CHESLEY
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8 THE RURAL VOICE
THE SPIRIT OF SANTA
As sophisticated and blase as we
are most of the year, we shed this
attitude during the Christmas season.
We willingly give ourselves up to
fantasy, along with all the other
children, and unashamedly follow
a rotund individual.
Although we've pinned the name
Santa Claus on him, he's just an
embodiment of all the qualities we
would like to experience all year, but
alas, never do. Santa is round, never
having jiggled his belly in aerobics
exercises. We, who worship the slen-
der, accept the barrel shape of Santa
and leave him more cookies and milk.
There has never been a whisper that he
should lose 60 pounds to become
socially acceptable or to get down
those chimneys with greater ease.
Santa is also showing his age. His
blue eyes always have deep wrinkles
around them, mostly from laughter.
His silvery mane and beard unmistak-
ably place him in the seniors' section
of life. We haven't tried to rejuvenate
his appearance for fashion's sake. No
chemicals have changed his hair
colour, and no surgery has altered the
visage of someone who has a dream-
like quality of reality.
We allow the spirit of Santa to do
things at this time of the year that we
certainly wouldn't at any other time.
Santa stands in his red suit at street
corners, urging those who have to
share with those less fortunate. He
gets what he asks for. Were this spec-
tacle to greet you on a street corner in
July, you'd likely alert the law.
Santa has the ability to make
cheerful givers out of people who only
grudgingly give someone else a cold
at any other time of the year. Santa
can right all the wrongs of the year
with the spirit of forgiveness. Santa
makes people dream again, not so
much for what they might receive, but
for some hard to define quality of life.
Santa is used as a disciplinarian for
the unruly. How often have we threat-
ened to tell Santa when someone's
been naughty or shirked chores. The
threat of a non -visit from the friendly
old gent at this time of the year has the
effect of making the house more
peaceful, and certainly more orderly.
Try the same threat in May and see
where it gets you.
Just like any other child, I look
forward to what Santa has in store for
me. I sincerely hope you do too.
Our household extends to yours greet-
ings for this special time of the year.
May your sorrows be brief, your hopes
and joys lengthy, and your faith
eternal.0
Gisele Ireland, from Bruce County,
began her columns with The Rural
Voice. Her latest book, Brace Your-
self, is available for $7 from Bumps
Books, Teeswater, Ont. NOG 2S0.
GISELE IRELAND'S
SPECIAL
CHRISTMAS OFFER
OF LAUGHTER .. .
BOOK TITLES:
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Hog Wild
Brace Yourself
Charlie
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ANY THREE — $20
Bumps Books
R. R. 2, Teeswater
Ontario NOG 2S0
519-392-6461