"Choosing A Side"

There have been and continue to be great debates throughout the years.  Hercules, hero of the ancient world or bully with a lack of tolerance for creatures who only want to practice their traditions of destroying towns and people?  Climate change, real threat or Governmental hoax?  Bacon, bad for your health or the true joy of life?  Dogs, man's best friend or one of the world's biggest free loaders, only surpassed by cats?  Dorothy, misplaced good hearted youth or unwanted Kansas refugee causing havoc in Oz?  At this time of year we come to the biggest debate that can be had on a bus full of elementary students in the month of December.  It comes up each year and you know the bus driver is always called in to arbitrate the discussion.  Feelings are hurt, tears are shed, voices are raised, and from time to time blows are exchanged.  Each year I know I will hear, "Mr. Brandon, is Santa Claus real?"  I try to moderate and let each side have its say so.  In the end all discussion must be brought to a close.  I let them know that they are free to believe what they want but as for me, I believe, because I don't want to take the chance of having nothing on Christmas morning.  There are many things in this life that I don't believe in; A politician's promise, that you can have healthy and tasty, a lawyer who says he only wants to help, or when your wife says you don't have to get her a present this year.  But I do believe in the sparkle in the eyes of a child when he talks about Santa coming to town.  When students take the time to sing Christmas songs together on the bus and the bus driver knows when every Christmas tree on their route went up because they were told in high pitched excited voices. I hope your life is filled with high pitched excited voices.  I hope that sometimes that voice is yours.