Santa Claus makes several stops in Stevens Point, prior to the big visit

Santa Claus – or as I call him, Santa the Claus, just to annoy my wife (yes, I’m that type of husband) – is coming to town.


Truth is, he was already here twice last weekend, making stops at Breakfast with Santa events at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Applebee’s. He’s a hungry man, and two breakfasts are normal for him, especially right before the big holiday.

My wife and I took our two sons to see Santa the Clause (now I’m saying it just to annoy everybody) at Applebee’s, mainly because Chris Charewicz, the sheriff’s wife, invited us on behalf of Junior Achievement, which was sponsoring the event as a fundraiser. We also went because it was our youngest son Declan’s first opportunity to meet the big man from the North Pole, and we didn’t want to explain to him later why his big brother, Braden, had all these cool opportunities and he had none.

Braden, who is 7, loves Santa, as most kids his age do. He didn’t waste a moment in telling Santa he wanted a Nintendo Wii U for Christmas, and that he should find an alternate way into our house due to our lack of a chimney.

He didn’t always love Santa, though, as evidenced by a first Christmas photo of him crying on Santa’s lap as we forced him to do so. It’s rather ironic that we spend so much time telling children to avoid strangers, but then we force them to interact with possibly the weirdest stranger of all – a plump bearded man in a red costume who often makes his wife stay in the North Pole.

Over the years as he got to know Santa, with the realization of course that he brings presents, this fear became joy. Someday soon, although I’m hoping later than sooner, the joy will turn into a little bit of anger, when he learns more about his hero. I learned at an early age, simply because my parent’s hallway closet wasn’t necessarily the best place to keep secrets.

I remember feeling betrayed a little bit, as we’re told not to lie yet it’s OK for adults to do so. I stuck to the script, though, for the sake of my younger sister, and because I knew by doing so I might get more of those closeted items.

Braden has questioned the matter a few times, probably because the older kids at school are big talkers, and instead of denying his questions, I simply ask a return question to gently point him in another direction. “If it’s not true, then why do people always talk about him on television?” I’ll ask.

It’s a valid question, and one that makes him think. “If it’s on television, then it must be true,” he’ll reply on his own.

Leading him further away from the original topic, and sticking to the truth even more than I probably should, I tell him television is not always truthful. I point out that advertisements, especially political ones, are often designed to persuade people to do something, even if they aren’t exactly truthful. By this point, he’s not even thinking about the original question and instead is focusing on something new.

After a little more lecture, he gets bored and walks away. Victory is mine.

Someday I know the victory will be his. I’ll concede when I can’t win, but I’ll make sure he continues playing the game for Declan’s sake. And then we’ll have fun with it together.
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Originally published in The Portage County Gazette on Dec. 14, 2012.