Some days I think I’ve lived too long. One of them was when I caught a story in Florida today about the new reality of being Santa. “Santa gets a makeover” was the title, but the story wasn’t about fashion at all.
It was about the changing reality of being Santa Claus. Today it seems, Santa not only undergoes a background check, but needs insurance and has a very strict code of conduct.
You would hope that if there was anyone you can trust it would be Santa Claus. But the companies hiring people to play that role today don’t want to leave anything to chance.
I read the same news you do, so I understand what’s going on. You don’t want somebody who played Santa at your store to turn up as a pedophile on the evening news or get nailed by a sting operation putting his hand where it shouldn’t go. You don’t want some “jolly old elf” to slip and fall in your mall and then sue you for every penny of profit you’ve made in the last two decades.
I understand it all, but it makes me sad. I grew up in a simpler time when you took your kids to see Santa without wondering if the store did a thorough background check on Old St. Nick. Today, pedophiles and predators abound and they’d like nothing more than a job where they can touch kids and find out personal information.
Just because I’m sad, though, doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s a good idea to be careful. I’ve got a couple of grandchildren who’ll go visit Santa this year. I want to be sure they’re visiting one I can trust.