Quiet for a good reason

First there was finals - then I dove right into getting The Envoy ready for print! Which I'm happy to say is DONE. Just waiting for the proof to arrive. Here is the Print cover I did. Just to give you a little tease.

Santa person, myth or belief?

I read an article today about tell/don't tell Kid's the "truth" about Santa Clause today. And it got me thinking.

We tell kids in December to be good or Santa won't come - so they usually are wanting that horde of presents on the 25th of December. But by December 27th Santa is old news and they don't think oh this will effect next years Christmas. Guess what? They're right. How many of you can tell me what your kids did last year on December 27th? Not many. 365 days is a long time.

Ask most kids under the age of 5 and they'll tell you Santa is a person. Ask kids over 10 that same question and most will say myth. Ask me at 48 and I'll tell you belief.

Why is Santa a belief for me? Have you ever had a moment, anytime of the year except the period from Thanksgiving Day to New Years Day, where you went - It feels like Christmas? Maybe not, but most of us have - I've heard people say - this is better than Christmas - a LOT! So for me, Santa is a belief that we will be rewarded for some random act of kindness we did with no expectation of getting recognition or reward for it.

After working 12 years in the retail business, I can tell you I have the "Christmas Spirit" of a dead reindeer - namely NONE. It comes from every single Christmas I worked in Retail - invariably someone screamed in my face on Christmas eve - "You're ruining my Christmas!"First few years it didn't bother me after about the 6th or 7th, listening to carols about the Joy of Christmas, Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards men - then watching how people acted... Killed my "Christmas Spirit". I also saw first hand how commercial the whole shebang was.

Before the retail experience, there were many years I was BROKE at Christmas and just had enough to pay the bills, not buy presents for the people I loved. I hated then and hate now - someone insisting I buy a present to show I care about someone in December. What if I want to get a gift in October that says I care about you/you're important to me? What do I hear - "Oh you should have waited till Christmas to give that."

That is why Santa is a belief to me. He lives in my heart throughout the year. When I can help someone, I do. When I want to buy a gift for someone just to say I care, I do. Then sometimes when things are at their darkest for me - someone sends me something out of the blue just to show they care about me.

And isn't that what Santa is really about? Showing you care? So, why wait till December because retailers, card makers and wrapping paper manufacturers tell us we should? Hmmm? No REAL reason that I can think of - other than we've become so indoctrinated to giving gifts on Christmas - we've forgotten the REAL reason you give a gift - to show someone you care.

So, I keep Santa close all year - cause I don't want to forget that lesson.

What I do at School

This is gonna take 2 post - but here is the first - my typography final project - 12 pages and 100+ hours worth of work. - and YES, I designed every title and layout in the thing. JUST checked - made a 92 on it!