Now, The Anti-Santa; The Bible Wackjob At The Mall

So called Pastor David Grisham, straight from Mount
Crumpit, yells at kids at a Texas mall that Santa doesn't exist
Parent intervened and shut the idiot up.  

Earlier, I wrote about a real life Santa Claus,  who lovingly guided a dying child on his way to the Promised Land in the ultimate display of class and compassion.

As noted in that post, there's always the opposite, the people who, rather than trying to warm hearts, try to turn them stone cold, to match their own.

I don't like to dwell on people like this, but it's always important to feature them. Exposing and mocking them is a good antiseptic, and these rubes need it.

So let me introduce you to one "Pastor" (and I use that term loosely)  David Grisham, who inexplicably decided it would be fun to travel down to Alaska and annoy and dismay children waiting in line to meet Santa at a Texas shopping mall.

As you'll see in the video at the bottom of this Grisham that filmed of his exploits, parents weren't exactly thrilled by this moron, either.

In the video, we hear this idiot bellowing to the confused and frightened children and their eye-rolling parents, "I want to tell you today there is no such thing as Santa Claus! Santa Clause does not exist! The Christmas season is about Jesus. Jesus was born 2,016 years ago. He was born in a small town  called Bethlehem. That is the truth about Christmas."

Well, I think the fine Texas families in line to see Santa already get it that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and that's why so many Christians celebrate Christmas. I'm willing to bet Santa's reindeer that most of the families there are good Christians anyway. This is Texas, after all.

Grisham then went on to yell unsolicited parenting advice, telling them they were wrong to lie to their children and tell them Santa doesn't exist.

You don't mess with Texas. Especially Texas dads who are trying to treat their kids to a nice Christmas excursion.

You see some dads demanding, rather intimidatingly, that Grisham scram.  You hear one of the delightfully menacing dads mention that he doesn't appreciate being told what to say to his kids, particularly when it's coming from an especially strange stranger.

I noticed some of the older kids in the background in the video looked pretty tough too, which is a nice touch.

The dads seem to restrain themselves enough to ward off the temptation to punch Grisham in the face. I'm not sure I'd be that self-controlled.

I'm sure Grisham skulked away eventually, back to the frigid hole he came from in Alaska.

It's just so much fun to see idiots like Grisham make a fool of himself, and pretend he doesn't the universal condemnation and mocking around him.

So, I present you with Grisham's video. Feel free to mock him any way you like, because 'tis the season.

Sad Story Of Child Dying In Santa's Arms Proves To Me Santa Is "Real"

Eric Schmitt-Matzen, aka Santa, did a hero's job for a
dying boy. Just the dose of humanity we needed

UPDATE/EDITOR'S NOTE

This is disillusioning, but the Knoxville News Sentinel is now saying they can't verify the veracith of this story.

A statement from the News-Sentinel says in part:

"Since publication the News-Sentinel has done additional investigation in an attempt to independently verify Schmitt-Matzen's acount. This has proven unsuccessful. 

Although facts about his background have checked out, his story of bringing a gift to a dying child remains unverified. The News-Sentinel cannot establish that Schmitt-Matzens' account is inaccurate, but more importantly, ongoing reporting cannot establish that it is accurate."

If there are further updates, I'll either update or delete the post, whichever is most appropriate.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION:

You know damn well there's a Kleenex warning with this story.

The viral story going around now is about the hospitalized child in Tennessee dying in Santa's arms.

The whole thing is hopelessly sad and tragic, obviously, save for one bright spot. The man who was playing Santa, Eric Schmitt-Matzen, is an absolutely beautiful human being.

When not Santa, the white-bearded, six foot one, 310 pound man is president of a company called Packing Seals & Engineering in Tennessee.

I'm sure he's a great mechanical engineer and CEO, but Schmitt-Matzen gave us all a welcome dose of humanity in a world that seems sorely lacking in that department.

There's a heartrending video interview with Schmitt-Matzen at the bottom of this post, but if it is too much to watch, what follows is a narrative of this simultaneously terrible and beautiful story.

According to the Knoxville News-Sentinel, the story begins with an urgent telephone call.

It was a nurse from the hospital Schmitt-Matzen knew. She told him to come right away for a sick five year old boy. The nurse told him don't even change into your whole Santa Clause outfit. There wasn't time.

I'll let Sam Venable, an author, storyteller and columnist for the Knoxville News-Sentinel pick up the story here:

"Schmitt-Matzen got to the hospital in 15 minutes. He met the lad's mother and several family members.

'She'd bought at toy from (the TV show) PAW Patrol and wanted me to give it to him,' he said, voice growing husky. 'I sized up the situation and told everyone, If you think you're going to lse it, please leave the rom. If I see you crying, I'll break down and can't do my job.'"

Venable wrote that nobody entered the room with Santa, but watched, sobbing, through a hallway window in the hospital's ICU.

Schmitt-Matzen continued, as relayed by Venable:

"'When I walked in, he was laying there, so weak it looked like he was ready to fall asleep. I sat down on his bed and asked, 'Say, what's this I hear about you're gonna miss Christmas? There's no way you can miss Christmas! Why, you're my Number One Elf!'

He looked up ad said, 'I am?'

I said 'Sure!'

I gave him the present. He was so weak he could barely open the wrapping paper. When he saw what was inside, he flashed a big smile and laid his head back down.

'They say I'm gonna die,' he told me. 'How can I tell when I get to where I'm going?'

I said, 'Can you do me a big favor?'

He said, 'Sure!'

'When you get there, you tell 'em you're Santa's Number One Elf, and I know theyll let you in.'

He said, 'They will?'

I said, 'Sure!'

He kind of sat up and gave me a big hug and asked one more question: 'Santa, can you help me?'

I wrapped my arms aroud him. Before I could say anything, he died right there. I let him stay, just kept hugging and holding on to him."

And so, Schmitt-Matzen, aka Santa, sent the boy on his next journey, whereever that might be.

The boys mother ran into the room, screaming, "No, No not yet!"  Schmitt-Matzen handed the boy back to his mother and fled the hospital in tears.

He said he cried so hard driving home he could barely see the road. That's understandable.

What's also understandable is Schmitt-Matzen considered giving up his Santa gig after this. He just didn't have the heart to do it.

But he did one more gig, which was fortunate.  Schmitt-Matzen said, "When I saw all those children laughing, it brought me back into the fold, it made me realize the role I have to play....For them and for me."

At 54 years old, I'm too old to believe in Santa. Or am I?

No, a fat, happy old man from the North Pole is not going to come down my chimney Christmas Eve and give me presents.

You can call people like Schmitt-Matzen what you want. Great human beings, Good Samaritans, or guardian angels.

Or you could call him Santa. This time of year, when I hear stories like this, I'm glad that Santa lives on, not in some hokey television commercial that demands that you Buy, Buy, Buy!, but in the quiet grace of Schmitt-Matzen, aka Santa.

It seems like there's so little of Schmitt-Matzen's type in the world today, in a time when people feel like they have "permission" to scream insults and threats at people they don't like.

I, like everybody else, shed a tear when I read about Schmitt Matzen and the dying boy. Not only for the context of the story, but because it makes me know there are still people like him out there.

Thanks, Santa.

Here's the video. (Warning, it's a real tear-jerker, but worth watching)

Three Cheers For Two Men Lying Down On The Job

Barber James Williams successful cuts
young Mason's hair at a barber shop in Wales.
Mason has autism, and he's most comfortable on the floor. 

Lying down on the job is pretty much discouraged everywhere.

But I found two recently examples where people have done this, and they deserve a raise.

The first guy lying down on the job is one James Williams of the Jim the Trim Barber Shop in Briton Ferry, Wales.

Last month, a youngster with autism named Mason came in to get a haircut.

Haircuts can be difficult for some kids with autism.  

Williams said the boy has come into the shop in the past, and the kid would get very uncomfortable, especially when Williams tried to cut hair near Mason's ears.

Williams also noticed Mason seemed more comfortable on the floor. The barber figured if you can't beat him, join him.

So the haircut got done there, and worked beautifully. Mason was so pleased he gave Williams a hug - which is a rare move for Mason, said his parents, according to Huffington Post.

Too bad I don't live anywhere near Wales. I'd get Williams to cut my hair any time. And I wouldn't even make him get down on the floor to do it.

The second case, according to People magazine came in the form of a mall Santa.

Erin Deely says her son, Brayden has autism, and thusly not good at crowds, noise and pressure, such as people urging him to smile, goddammit.

But there's an organization call Caring Santa, which trains Santas and sets up quiet, controlled areas where kids with autism can tell Santa they've been good boys and girls and what they want for Christmas.

When Brayden arrived at SouthPark mall in Charlotte, North Carolina, Santa just got down on the floor and started playing with the toys on the floor with Brayden.

The result was the adorable picture you see in this post of the kid and Santa at the mall.

I don't know if Santa gets Christmas gifts, but this one surely won't get any coal in his stocking.


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