I never stopped believing in Santa Claus.
Sure, I heard the same things most kids do on the
playground. How it’s impossible. There’s no way he could get around the world,
to all those houses in one night. It just can’t happen. And when I asked why, I
was treated to all manner of logical explanations. All of them made sense.
Every one of them was a completely believable reason as to why someone could
not possibly do the things that Santa supposedly did.
Not one of them made a dent in my belief.
To me, what was always missing from these explanations was
magic.
There are people, particularly some of those kids on the
playground, who would roll their eyes at the thought of magic. Maybe these people
feel too grown up to indulge in such childish thinking. Maybe they’re
frustrated that regardless of how calmly and rationally they argue their point,
there are some who they will never convince (namely me). This is not to say
that I don’t appreciate their line of thought. Logic is wonderful and
something I think should be utilized daily, but I’ve never been of the opinion
that it should be the sole perspective from which any issue should be viewed.
After all, doesn’t everything start as fantasy?
We are members of a species that has made absolutely
remarkable strides in the sciences. Over the years things have been proven that
previously were thought to be declarations of insanity.
The earth is not flat, nor does it occupy the center of the
universe.
“Atom” comes from a Greek word that means “indivisible.” Turns
out it can be divided.
Humans are born sans wings, but countless take to the sky
every day.
We live in a world that if described to our ancestors would
have been considered magical and, most likely, insane. Why? Because of men and
women who believed in the possibility of their fantasies.
As Albert Einstein put it, “When I examine myself and my
methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant
more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.”
So, in honor of the people who have gotten us this far and
the people who will one day make it possible for me to drop by grandkid off at
Quidditch practice in my flying
car, I will never stop believing in possibility of those things that defy logical
explanation. After all, if there’s one thing we’ve historically proven, it’s
that we’re never as smart as we think we are.
Now, I’m not here to convince you to believe in Santa (that
can be left to Francis Pharcellus
Church), but I do strongly encourage the belief
in possibilities. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if we turn out to be wrong, the
fun of life is keeping an open mind while we have the chance.
If you will excuse me, I have to go mail out my letter to the
man in red. Really want to know what those elves have been up to.
Tonight’s Christmas
Viewing:
- “Little Minnesota” (How I Met Your Mother)
- “The One Where Rachel Quits” (Friends)
- The Christmas Card
- The Shop Around the Corner
No comments:
Post a Comment