Negativity and selfishness gets great publicity in our social networking, indirect-contact society. You’d be led to believe the world’s running low on good people and that no one cares for or respects one another anymore. Their only concerns are themselves; and when they’re in need, no one is willing to lend them a hand without reward.
This is not the case. Kind, caring, selflessly-generous people still exist. Santa Claus is a shining example.
Born Larry Jefferson in Nashville, Arkansas, the jolly southern gentleman learned the true blessing of Christmas as a child. For nearly 2 decades he’s been spreading joy and delivering gifts of all kinds to children and families everywhere.
Residing in Dallas and popularly known as Santa Larry, he was handpicked to handle the illustrious role at Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. He is the first Black Santa untrusted that prestigious position.
An heir to the legendary St. Nicholas of Turkey who was also a dark-skinned person, Santa Larry takes tremendous pride in furthering the Claus legacy. A decorated retired Army captain and graduate of the esteemed Charles W. Howard Santa School in Midland, MI, he makes nearly 100 event appearances a year.
While good at what he does, he’s also a good person and one who believes in helping others.
I asked Santa Claus to tell me about a time when he did something nice for someone and what compelled him to do it. THIS is what he shared.
“I do things for people throughout the year, not just for Christmas time.
One of my friends did not know how to drive. She worked with me, and I was her boss. I’d just purchased a brand new car and she was always riding with people to and from work.
So, what I did was I offered to teach her how to drive so she could become independent. She was a mature lady in her mature age of 50s at that time. She lived with her parents and they were driving her to work every day for all those years.
Then she lost her parents. She lost her mother first. I started telling her then that she needed to learn to drive. She took me up on it!
And she just couldn’t believe I’d use my new car to teach her how to drive! And, boy, was it an adventure! It was pretty heavy teaching somebody who’d never learned, using your new car while sitting on the passenger side saying, “Hey, stay between the lines! Stay between the lines!”
I taught her how to drive and she got her driver’s license.” |THIS.
[Written by Mr. Joe Walker | Follow THIS on Twitter @THISENT1]
Start your week with a feel-good story! Read a new “Shining Example” every Monday at 8:00 AM!
