I Have A Bad Habit Of Crushing The Hopes And Dreams Of Others

When it comes to Christmas I would like to think I’m always in some sort of holiday spirit. This is why I tend to be such a disappointment to others during the months of November and December. Growing up in a place called North Pole tends to breed in cynicism. Now I’m not saying I want others to be unhappy, just through the stories and tales of growing up in a place where the high school mascot was almost the “Santa Claus’” certain things about a special holiday tend to be ruined. On this week’s episode of I “Have A Bad Habit Of Crushing The Hopes And Dreams Of Others” I bring you the truth behind mailing a letter to Santa.
I am not sure if all letters mailed in the United States goes to North Pole, Alaska or where they go. I do know that a large number do end up at North Pole Middle School where in 7th grade I was told to “help Santa reply to these letters.” Up to this point in my life I was able to deal with the street lights being candy caned and the enormous fiberglass Kris Kringle off the highway. Answering other children’s Santa letters were the beginning of the end of my Christmas spirit.
My class was loaded into a computer lab where the rules were written out.
1. Do not promise anything
2. Be cheerful, you are the actual Santa to these children
3. There was no Rule no. 3
4. Turn letters into Mr.XXXX before sealing the envelope for review

My class spent 2 weeks spreading cheer and happiness to others while I think we gave up a little bit of ours. You don’t know how many times I wrote “Timmy, I will try to get you a new Huffy… be nice to your mom, Merry Christmas, Santa.” Best part was actually forging the signature. If there is a Santa I bet he is pissed.
Who was the administrator who volunteered the school to do this? I had younger sisters who still believed, I may have still believed, but I came to resent a bit of the holiday.
Now for the crushing the hopes of others. This summer I told a friend this story and she began to cry. As a child she had sent a letter to Santa. While I highly doubt the letter made it to Alaska, I figure her dad intercepted the letter and replied. That was done with love for her, the scenario I had just described was a manufacturing wing for letters to Santa. There was no love involved, not from me anyways. I just didn’t want to get in trouble or have my grades be effected by my ability to empathize with the children of the U.S..

Hopefully these little segments will become more frequent as it gets closer to the holidays that I will be working through. Finally, to lighten the mood, here is a video of Sukie taken immediately after writing this.

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