Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

[Admin]

This has nothing to do with flying but as some of you know I have a 11/12 year old daughter and an 8 year old son. My daughter is going through that "Santa isn't real" thing, a sort of changing of the guard in terms of beliefs and questioning all things in life.

 

Near 30 years ago when I was a radio announcer here in Melbourne (radio stations 3KZ and later 3DB) there was always the question of "Does Santa really exist?" I came across an article in an 1897 US newspaper "The Sun" called "Letter To Virginia" where a little girl wrote to The Sun Newspaper and I am sure many of you have heard of it. I use to read it out on air with nice music backing and it has always stuck in my mind at Christmas time so I thought I would just post it here as it does, in my opinion, relays a message of thought and of which I gave to my daughter.

 

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

 

Virginia O'Hanlon

 

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

 

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

 

He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

 

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

 

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

 

No Santa Claus? Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

 

 

[Tomo]

Very Insightful

 

 

[Yenn]

The bare bones of religion. I only believe in the Rudd fairy. He will give to the poor.

 

Have a great Christmas even if you don't believe>

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

Well, apparantly I've been deemed too old for Santa to come, so tell your daughter to enjoy it while it lasts! :)

 

 

[Tomo]

Well, apparantly I've been deemed too old for Santa to come.

That is sad! He didn't miss me but...

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

The Christmas Spirit

 

Darky, you are never too old, so never stop believing...we usually put Xmas stockings up on the sideboard for the little knicknacks and chockies etc (as well as the pressies under the tree) and my youngest son who is fourteen wanted to know how come the stockings were not up this year..we ignored his question busying ourselves with other things as you do Christmas eve...anyway his eyes lit up a treat this morning when he got up and wandered out to find...you guessed it his Christmas stocking...I think that regardless of what else he got, it underlines the little things at Christmas that are important to all of us...To you and all who enjoy this forum, I hope you all find your "Christmas Stocking" and wish you all a very merry Xmas.:robin:

 

 

[turboplanner]

That is sad! He didn't miss me but...

Only you could keep the parents fooled for so long Tomo.

 

 

[Tomo]

Only you could keep the parents fooled for so long Tomo.

I think it's the other way round..... Santa really is real you know!

 

 

 

[Admin]

I think it's the other way round..... Santa really is real you know!

I know that Santa is real as well...I know because the Easter Bunny told me ;)

 

 

[Tracktop]

I know that Santa is real as well...I know because the Easter Bunny told me ;)

Ah you know the easter bunny too

 

 

[turboplanner]

Can't you just see the headlines now :One of the RA Aus Directors, who claims to be friends with Santa and the Easter Bunny.......

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

Can't you just see the headlines now :One of the RA Aus Dorectors, who claims to be friends with Santa and the Easter Bunny.......

Don't forget the Tooth Fairy, I hear he hangs out with the Easter Bunny so the Doorector must have met him too...

 

 

[turboplanner]

Near 30 years ago when I was a radio announcer here in Melbourne (radio stations 3KZ and later 3DB) <o:p></o:p>

I used to listen to 3KZ in those days, and I've been wracking my brain to remember the Baker name, but I certainly remember the Virginia story, beautifully read too, I might add.

 

They were much gentler days. I used to listen to John Bright's late night Country Music show, and John was one of the more daring disc jockeys with such reckless pieces as a story about a pigeon, finishing with: "It was a homing pigeon" then a long pause, the "although it could have been normal"

 

 

[Admin]

I used to listen to 3KZ in those days, and I've been wracking my brain to remember the Baker name, but I certainly remember the Virginia story, beautifully read too, I might add.They were much gentler days. I used to listen to John Bright's late night Country Music show, and John was one of the more daring disc jockeys with such reckless pieces as a story about a pigeon, finishing with: "It was a homing pigeon" then a long pause, the "although it could have been normal"

John Bright was doing morning and Fred Botica was doing Brekky when I started at KZ in 1977. You may remember a guy by the name of Ric Melbon (use to always yell "WAKE UP") who came to KZ from DB in 78 and there was a guy who use to tell jokes on air (and was the producer of the Brekky show) called Ian Kiak - most of his jokes were about his dumb brother - on the offchance you do remember him (his listeners even started a fan club for him) that was me and the start of my on-air career.

When at DB Coxy was there and he went into TV - he filled in as the drummer of Little River Band when (forget his name) burnt his hands on a barbecue - but I would love to know where Ric Melbon, John Bright, Fred Botica, Ted Bull, Ron O'Neil all ended up. I later went into TV as Musical Supervisor on the Peter Couchman Show when it was on Chanel 0 but when that stopped I went out of the industry

 

 

[turboplanner]

Yes I remember Ian Kiak - guess you were paddling then. And Ric Melbon.

 

John Bright was always promoting the sunshine coastbefore it was fashionable, and had a little patter about Nambour, Maroochydore and a couple of other towns.

 

As I recall the station changed its format and he was not happy, so I assume he moved up there.

 

It is a passing parade isn't it.

 

 

[pudestcon]

Ian,

 

Fred Botica heads up 'Botica's Bunch" on 94.5fm doing mornings in WA. It is very successful and always seems to be number 1 in the ratings. It is my favourite radio slot for weekday mornings. Go here to check them out The Bunch Home

 

Ted Bull (not sure its the same one) has just retired from ABC radio in Perth where over the last few years he has done a lot of time slots. My favourite segment of Ted's was the "Babysitting Baby Boomers" segment he did on Friday Afternoons. Not sure what he is up to now. Try this to read about Ted's retirement Veteran 720 ABC Perth radio presenter Ted Bull retires | Perth Now

 

Pud

 

 

[Admin]

Thanks Pud...yep, that's Ted in the picture of the link and so Fred is over there, I must send him an email and see if he remembers his 3KZ days and the "Great Radio Raid" as the media called it then when KZ poached Ric, Ted, Ron and a Newsreader from DB. After all that died KZ went "Mellow Music" and I went to DB and then TV

 

 

[pudestcon]

I've heard Fred on a number of occasions talk (reminisce) about his early days in radio so I reckon he'd like to catch up with an old work colleague.

 

Who knows Ian, he might even have you chat on air... I'd like to hear that one morning in the carpark known as Kwinana Freeway, when I'm on my way to work.

 

Pud

 

 

[Admin]

Thought I would resurrect this for the parents here...my daughter is 13 and has her own views but my son is 10 so he still has the fantastic innocence that Corrine and I enjoy seeing on Christmas eve and morning

 

 

[sfGnome]

Funny reading a thread and then realising that its 2 years old! My adult children still come home to sleep over on Christmas eve (doubles as the good lady's birthday, so it's double the celebration) and then they sit on our bed in their pyjamas and open stockings. Funny how in some things they're not so keen on growing up...

 

This year will be a bit different though. Our daughter has been living in England and she's coming home in mid January, so Christmas has been postponed by a few weeks. I hope none of you mind the delay.

 

 

[facthunter]

Yes it's certainly a thread dredge.

 

Regarding Santa. IF childrenra are not sure, it is better to give the existence of Santa the benefit of the doubt because there is nothing better than waking up and looking in the pillowslip and say "he's been" and opening the contents up. Nev.

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

I find the 'Santa Claus' thing creepy, not someone I'm ever letting near my children. To me it is very important not to lie to my children and that they know from the outset to seek for truth - in this case being that the SC person is a fraud.

 

 

[farri]

Of course there`s a Santa Claus! I saw him when I was 8 years old!

 

It was Christmas eve and at around midnight I woke up,sat up in bed and there was Santa.

 

He was coming through the manhole in the ceiling. He had a big white beard and a red Santa suit on. He sat there for a while,smiled,winked and waved to me, then left.

 

The experience was so real to me that when I went back to school I was telling all the kids what I had seen. Some of the older kids simple laughed and made fun of me.

 

"There is no Santa, we didn`t see any Santa", But I was having none of that, because I knew I had seen Santa.

 

HO HO HO, Merry Christmas Everyone.

 

Frank.

 

Ps, True Story.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Of course there`s a Santa Claus! I saw him when I was 8 years old!It was Christmas eve and at around midnight I woke up,sat up in bed and there was Santa.

 

He was coming through the manhole in the ceiling. He had a big white beard and a red Santa suit on. He sat there for a while,smiled,winked and waved to me, then left.

 

The experience was so real to me that when I went back to school I was telling all the kids what I had seen. Some of the older kids simple laughed and made fun of me.

 

"There is no Santa, we didn`t see any Santa", But I was having none of that, because I knew I had seen Santa.

 

HO HO HO, Merry Christmas Everyone.

 

Frank.

 

Ps, True Story.

I have not seen Santa, but I swear to god that I saw the easter Bunny when I was a 7.True Story

 

 

[pudestcon]

Of course there`s a Santa Claus! I saw him when I was 8 years old!It was Christmas eve and at around midnight I woke up,sat up in bed and there was Santa.

 

He was coming through the manhole in the ceiling. He had a big white beard and a red Santa suit on. He sat there for a while,smiled,winked and waved to me, then left.

 

The experience was so real to me that when I went back to school I was telling all the kids what I had seen. Some of the older kids simple laughed and made fun of me.

 

"There is no Santa, we didn`t see any Santa", But I was having none of that, because I knew I had seen Santa.

 

HO HO HO, Merry Christmas Everyone.

 

Frank.

 

Ps, True Story.

I have a similar story Frank.

 

Christmas Eve, very excited, in bed, pitch black, heard a noise and sat up in bed. There he was in the doorway in full living colour. Then before my eyes he slowly faded away, I rubbed my eyes and then it was morning. Sure enough, at the bottom of the bed were all the goodies but I wasn't surprised. I'd seen him with my own eyes.

 

Also a true story.

 

All the best for the festive season everyone, and party hard eh?

 

Pud