Meeting Santa

While I was putting myself through Art School I took a job at a department store. At Christmas time the store was always swamped with shoppers. As a sales associate, I was expected to maintain a certain degree of decorum and in those days the customer really was always right! I was busy wrapping a purchase when I looked up to greet the next customer. "SANTA!" I involuntarily exclaimed! There in front of me was the spitting image of Santa Claus! White hair, rosy cheeks and a real long white beard! I immediately started to apologize for my outburst, but the "Santa" just laughed. He explained how he loved being mistaken for Santa Claus. During one summer (he told me) he was walking in the surf in Florida when he overheard a little boy talking to his mom. "Mommy," the little boy said, "There's Santa. He's on vacation!". This "Santa" really illustrated the true spirit of Christmas!