It's the Christmas Season of 2013 and Chip the Elf couldn't be more excited to spend time at Sea World San Diego once again!
Having spent my Christmas Season last year at Sea World, I am well acquainted to what it's like meeting many different types of people from all over the world who come visit this theme park. There are many times when, on a break, it's easy to be frustrated by what a park guest had said or done that diminishes the Christmas spirit, and vent it out. There are, unfortunately, those out there who are just the Scrooges of the world, and as frustrating as that is, I just need to think about, more than anything, how sad it must be for them to live their lives that way. This is why I just love meeting the children I do. They are so alive with imagination and creativity! It's such a beautiful thing to witness every day. As adults grow up, they tend to lose those imaginations. And why? I understand, there are bills to be paid, jobs to do to pay those bills, families to take care of, but why does that mean the imagination they once had has to die? I'm not saying this happens to all adults, and thank God for the art of theatre that hones imagination and creativity on the stage and screen, but wouldn't life be much more beautiful if everyone wasn't so cynical, judgmental, and uptight? Loosen up! Relax! Remember that little kid inside of you who once thought that every fairy tale had a happy ending, there is a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow, and that Santa Claus would visit your home once a year just so you could wake up the next morning as the happiest child in the world.
I've decided this year, that I am going to document those beautiful "Christmas Moments" (as Mrs. Claus likes to call them) that happen every day I'm at Sea World. I want to focus on the magic that I see in the eyes of those who believe. Last year, I remember a little girl telling me that all she wanted for Christmas was the new kidney that the doctor said would be coming to her very soon. And the two little girls I was talking to, one just staring at me with a smile the whole time. I was a bit confused why she wasn't saying anything until the older one told me her little sister couldn't hear what I was saying, and began signing to her asking her what she wanted for Christmas. And one mother who came up to me and said "My daughter told me she knows that some elves, santa's, etc aren't real because the real ones can't always come to every mall or theme park in America, but she knows you are the real deal and is just so excited to have met you." All because I knew a handful of the names of the American Girl dolls and happened to say the one she asked Santa for because it's one that looks like her. All I could think was, "I am real! With the beauty of imagination, I AM real!"
So my first day back to Sea World for the Christmas Season was for a media event for three news
stations from 4:45a.m. - 10:00am. That's early, even for an elf! I got to play around in Snow World, making snow angels with my fellow elf friend, Sprinkles, throwing snowballs at targets, and sledding down a hill. Some kids were brought in for the media event as well, and before we knew it, Sprinkles and I were pushing kids down the sledding hill for what felt like hours! After a while, it almost felt like some elves were being used as babysitters, the one thing elves probably have the least amount of experience of! But in this time, I met a little boy named Travis. After helping Travis up and giving him a little push down on his sled, I learned that he is 5 years old, has a big sister named Chelsea, who was also sledding, and for Christmas, he wants a reindeer! HA! I told Santa, who was also there with Mrs. C, and Santa let him know that if he couldn't get him a reindeer this year, he would make sure to bring him something just as special! (Santa is so good at not letting kids down). I asked Travis what he would name his reindeer if he got one. "Travey!" I said that was the perfect name. After a few more slides down, he asked Sprinkles to tell me to push him as hard as I could on the sled. I told him to hang out tight, yell "Merry Christmas" on the way down, and off he went. His family below taking pictures of him as he shouted out what I asked, I could see the smile on his face from just his body language. At one point, he started making snowballs and giving them to Sprinkles to throw at me! I suddenly felt like I was being betrayed! It's supposed to be boys rule, girls drool! But, he was just too darn adorable for me to be mad at, so I took it like a good little elf. A little later, after shooting a segment for one station inside of the food stand where Santa and Mrs. C we're helping a little girl decorate some goodies, I started walking through the snow back to the sledding area. I see Travis walking toward me. Thinking a bit cynically, I immediately think "oh boy. He must have a snowball and I better be prepared for this to hit anywhere between the goods below the belt, to the sparkles on my cheeks..." As I prepare for the worst, Travis comes up to me, not saying a word, and throws his arms around me. A hug. Not a snowball. Not fists. Just, a silent, heartfelt, tightly wrapped hug. I laugh a little, "Aww, wow. I don't know what that was for, but thank you!" Travis looks up, smiles, and walked off back towards the top of the sledding hill. In that moment, in his eyes, I could see the glimmer of Christmas magic flowing through him. I was so mad at myself for thinking the worse, preparing to eat snow from the snowball I was sure would be heading my way.
In that moment, I knew that he knew something maybe some of the older kids that were there didn't know, "I AM real!"
- Chip
No comments:
Post a Comment