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How Santa Busted My Recession Blues

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Written by Karen D. Swim

One evening last week, I sat on my couch debating whether to make the trek to gather the mail. After all, it had been a long day and it would simply sit untouched anyway. As I was debating, the news hummed in the background with an incessant procession of bad news. I rubbed my neck and decided the fresh air would be good.

I walked quickly inhaling the brisk fall air, enjoying the crisp breeze on my cheeks. I reached the bank of mailboxes and saw an unfamiliar face. “Hello,” I called out cheerily. The man looked up and returned with a warm and hearty “Good Evening!” He looked to be in his lte 60’s with nearly white hair. Although older, he had a physically imposing presence softened by ruddy cheeks and a twinkle in his eye reminiscent of Santa Claus.

“How are you this evening?” I asked. “I am wonderful and so blessed!” “My box was at the opposite end and we were now facing one another. I looked up with a wide grin, “I love hearing that!” “Oh yes, everyone asks me how I can be so happy with all of the bad things that are happening but I tell them none of that stuff matters.” We chatted as we gathered our and then walked toward one another meeting in the middle on the sidewalk.

“For most of my life I could not walk. I’m in my sixties now. The technology finally caught up and I had an operation a few months ago. I have a cane in the car but slowly but surely I need it less and less. I may move a little slow but I can walk. The economy, gas prices, none of this stuff matters, I can walk!” With tears in his eyes he warned me that he was going to hug me and grabbed me in a hug.

He then stepped back and with a tear in his eye declared “You’re a nice lady and I knew I just had to tell you that!”

We exchanged names and cheery good-byes. He walked to his car and I practically skipped off into the night air. He said his name was Paul, but it sure felt like a visit with Santa.

I have thought of Paul often and always with a smile.  Whenever I am feeling the strain of long days, or too much exposure to bad news, I hear the words “I can walk!” The memory of “Santa Paul” reminds me of what is truly important.

Do you have a special memory that never fails to lift your mood? Or perhaps it’s a favorite place, quote or joke? Let’s talk about it in the comments. 🙂

Comments

  1. I have no one memory like that. However I have my best friend who is raising her two children alone. Her daughter has no working kidneys, but otherwise a rather energetic kid, who needs constant care – which means she can’t take a job.

    If you think about that, I think you can simply “cross out” a lot of your problems as they will not seem to be that serious.

    The cheer up part of the story is how her daughter can laugh and have a pretty good time with all this trouble.
    And that I can make my friend laugh too.

  4. Great story – reminds me of the time I saw a beautiful kookaburra (yep – I’d be an Aussie) sitting on a lamppost above the busiest street in Melbourne at rush hour. While the crowd rushed and scowled underneath he just sat there – unfussed, still, relaxed. He was truly free – and I realised that we are all are if we just allow it.

    Seamus Anthonys last blog post..Do You Pass The Lawnmower Test?

  5. What a delightful story! I wish people would talk to each other like that while out and about. When I lived in DC and smiled at strangers… I’d get looks that I was out of my mind. Hey, I’m a Texan — we’re friendly that way. The world needs more of people like you guys.

  6. Karen,

    That’s beautiful. Santa Paul is going to stay with me for a long time.

    I have a fairly recent one, too:

    A couple of months ago I got a whim to do a random act of kindness. I go to McD’s for my morning caffeine (diet Coke) on a fairly regular basis, and I decided to pay for the breakfast of the person behind me. It had a wonderful snowball effect that I didn’t anticipate, and I wrote about it at MCE, because I loved rocking another ciustomer’s experience, but the best part was what it did for me, frankly.

    That’s not the story. 🙂

    I inspired me so much (LOL) that I’ve continued to do it once in a while since then. They think I’m nuts, but in total it’s cost me less that $20 since June —breakfast at McD’s is cheap—and it spreads a lot of smiles. Anyway, about three weeks ago was the last time the urge hit me. I handed over my debit card, and said, hey, pay for the lady behind me, too.

    A few days later I went back and saw the same cashier. He said to me,

    “You remember that lady? She told me her story—her mother’s got cancer and she works at some crummy job and also takes care of her, and she’s nearly at the end of her rope. She said what you did was a sign from God, and that you gave her the strength to go on.”

    I don’t know if paying 3 bucks for someone’s breakfast should be a sign from God, but damn, I love that something so tiny, done on just the right day, gave someone who’s desperate the strength to go on. Since then that woman’s words have been giving me the strength to go on. It worked both ways.

    I wish I could thank her for (indirectly) thanking me. She’ll never know how that touched me. It’s a lot to live up to, and I’m up for it.

    You always get me thinking, Karen!

    Regards,

    Kelly

    Kellys last blog post..Should You Stickle in a Recession?

  8. Hi Joanna! My gosh you have an excellent memory! Isn’t it amazing the wonderful ways my days are touched by strangers? I completely agree with you we should be grateful for what we can do and not sweat the things that are out of our control.

    Karen Swims last blog post..Blunders and other Wonders

  9. Hi Brad! That does sound like a very fun memory! Good times with friends is always a good way to shake away any negative thoughts. We should all golf more! 🙂

  10. Karen, this reminds me of the piece you wrote about the time your car wasn’t working and you had to walk. You met someone in a wheelchair who couldn’t walk – and it changed your perspective. I often think of that when I’m out walking… or when mundane things are getting me down. Be grateful for what I can do, rather than think about the things I can’t!