"Ryan just told me Santa isn't real!" I looked down at the little girl with big blue eyes and buck teeth. I think her name was Anna or Annie. Her eyes filled with tears just about to burst over onto my new jeans. I shot a dirty look over to Ryan, a well-known trouble maker in the 5th grade. Days like these, I question why I decided to work at a after school filled with runny nose children that tattle tail on someone looking at their bag. I sigh and bend down so I can get at the level of a first grader. Obviously the right thing to do is lie.
I remember when I figured out that Santa wasn't real, it was the same time my brother did. It was Christmas morning. My brother had gotten a Gameboy which was the coolest thing back in the early 2000's. He shouted out, "Look what Santa gave me!" My father of course says, "I got the receipt just in case you don't like it." I saw my Mom flick my Dad in the arm and give him the same dirty stare that I gave to Ryan. I remember how confused I was at the time. Who really ate the cookies and milk that I left out religiously each year? Why had everyone lied to me for so many years? It wasn't just me but every child in the world that was told the same lie. It was the universal white lie. This fib is bolstered by Christmas movies, songs, parents, and even a fake Santa tracker that tells you where he is on Christmas eve. Yes, I was a avid Santa fan and stocked him every Christmas eve with that tracker. Maybe it is the joy of seeing how excited a child can get over a imaginary man that keeps the lie going. Or the blackmail that parents put over their children, saying that Santa will only come if they are good.
I looked into those big, blue eyes and did the right thing, "Don't listen to Ryan, he is just mad that he is on the naughty list. Of course Santa is real, there is even a Santa tracker that can show you exactly where he is." Yes, I am a coward but at least Anna or Annie can have a few more Christmas' believing a lie that can always put a smile on a kid's face.
This is an interesting post, Katrina. I am surprised that more students in the past have not written about this issue. I know it's an issue that all new parents wrestle with. Do they start and perpetuate the lie, or do they avoid the myth all together. Unfortunately, even for those parents who would rather avoid the lie, they ultimately succumb because of the massive cultural implications of Santa. It is virtually impossible to raise a child without perpetuating the lie. How would that child deal with his/her classmates or friends? Of course, there are also those reasons that you raise. It is just fun to see kids' faces light up with excitement at the idea of Santa visiting their house. I remember how excited I was as a kid to see those cookies half eaten. We left carrots for Rudolph too.
ReplyDeleteLet me just point out two writing tips. First, try to be more aware of run-on sentences. You have several of them in this post. Your writing would be so much stronger if you could avoid them. Also, the verb you were looking for was "stalked" and not "stocked."