“Live … That’s the message … Come poor child … Life’s a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death… Come on now child, live ... live … live ...” — famous scene in movie, “Auntie Mame”

Santa School

Jacob Burrows answered the ad for a mall Santa, and was surprised to discover that one had to actually attend a class before you were allowed to put on the red suit and beard. In fact, he was sent to a day long “Santa School”.

At the class, Jacob spent the day learning how best to act “jolly”, even when things were not going well. Things like when a kid pulls on your beard or pees on your pants.

The icy wind and blowing snow cut through me as I trudged along the sidewalk on my way to my job as a salesclerk at 'Kringle's Department Store'. The job didn't pay a lot , but it kept a roof over my head and food in my tummy. I was also fortunate in that Kringle's was a friendly place to work for the LGBT community. The owner's daughter was among our sisterhood, having completed her transition 6 years before.Her name was Claire and she worked in the Accounting department.

Inane Christmas music that some idiot had decided was the perfect Santa’s Workshop tune, echoed blandly in the noisy room. Just hours away from the Fat Man’s only reason for existing, everyone including those preposterous excuses for reindeer, were getting ready for the Visit.