Help me out with a couple questions on matters of serious fantasy. In this age of brand name appliances, Playstations, video games, hand-crafted swords, and premium roasted coffee, is it more likely that Santa Claus has become the world’s largest importer, bringing in products from Sony, Intel, Tyco, Random House, BMW, and GE for distribution around the world, or that Santa Claus has contracted with foreign manufacturers to produce “toys” for him? The latter possibility would mean Santa is the mind behind Steve Jobs of Apple Computers and Bob Eckert of Mattel. Or could it be that Santa Claus dissolved his manufacturing interests long ago and become a distribution center for the world’s toymakers, which means no toys are actually made by Santa today, not even the quaint old-fashioned ones?
I still make them the old fashioned way for Santa. I do sort of look like Mrs. Santa.
Actually, this year I am doing most of my shopping at thrift stores. It’s amazing what you can fix up for a small child.
This year, I do believe that wrapping paper, bows and boxes will be the favored toys.
I can think of no satisfactory way to reconcile the legend of Santa Claus with the actual world. I suppose you could imagine Santa as a cosmic do-gooder who provides gifts for children whose families can’t afford it, but if that’s true he’s not doing a very good job of it.
Of course he isn’t doing a good job. We need rose-colored glasses to make this work at all.