A visit to St. Nick

I took the girls to visit Santa earlier this week. The photo is above. We went to Tree House Books on Eighth Street in Holland.

The kids had been talking about this visit for days. They made their lists, prepared their speeches and even practiced them while we waited in line:

Santa, how are you? I want a Pokemon ...

Of course, when they got to the jolly old elf himself, they clammed up. I had to give them prompts from the sideline, whispering things like, "You want nothing over $10" and "No, I don't want a video game. I want a sweater."

Afterwards, we spent 45 minutes or so browsing the book store. The kids like this store because it has a play area with a cool wooden castle and some live animals -- a rabbit, birds and a sleepy chinchilla.

I'm just happy they're still young enough to enjoy this simple pleasure.

What the Dickens

One of my co-workers told his young children right off the bat that there is no Santa Claus. No whimsy from the start. This approach reminds me of Thomas Gradgrind in "Hard Times" by Dickens. Gradgrind's mantra stated in the first lines of the book:

"Now, what I want is Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. ..."

"Hard Times" is a short novel and brutally concise. It lacks the whimsy of the other novels -- on purpose. It's a hard-hitting smack on British industrialism.

Speaking of Dickens: Another one of my co-workers brings her knitting into the office. Not a good sign when a reporter has time to knit. Lots of problems with this. But, those aside, I made the reference to some of the other folks in the office that she was really recording all our transgressions for later reprisals, like Madame Defarge.

Silence.

You know, I prodded, Madame Defarge. Best of times, worst of times. French Revolution. A far better thing I do than I've ever done. Needs of the many ...

"Oh," one of my co-workers said. "That's from 'Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan.' Great film. ..."

And I wonder about the fate of Western civilization?

Thought: Kids need to believe in magic. They have the rest of their lives to be beaten down by reality.