Holidailies 2023

Dear Krampus

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Today’s Letter to Krampus was inspired by the Holidailies Prompt: Did you believe in Santa Claus/Father Christmas? How did you find out the truth? Would you tell your kids about Santa?

AI Art by The Pumpkin Empress

Dear Krampus,

When I was little my family told me Santa Claus was story.

I mean, there was never a time when I believed in Santa or the Easter Bunny or even the tooth fairy were real.

They weren’t so quick to say YOU weren’t real, but they were a little more sketchy on the details about you.

They believed in ghosts and things like that, so maybe that is why.

Anyway,  before you or anybody else starts to think my family were a bunch of holiday killjoys I have to stop you right there.

My Grandfather told me that Santa was a story and only the best story tellers could spin a story so real that Santa became real.

Joining the Santa Story Club was an elite club- but anyone could be a member and try.

I try to tell Christmas stories but they sort of lack spirit, if you know what I

mean, but that doesn’t stop me from trying.

On the other hand, Dear Krampus, you have always and probably shall remain very real to me.

AMM

Photographer Unknown
Krampus- 1949

The News Story

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Holidailies Prompt: Describe your best or worst memory from this past year.

Artist Unknown

Back in November a woman died on the railroad tracks near my warehouse.

The initial news-reports were not correct.

I was working at my desk when I heard a train breaking hard- hard enough that I noticed it- after years and years of working in the warehouse I don’t really heard the trains anymore.

I put it out of my mind and finished my work.

When I went to catch my train I saw people streaming up from the train platform so I knew there was a problem.

So this is what happened-  a woman jumped or fell from the bridge above the tracks- which is really a street and a sidewalk-  and just as she did a freight train came from the tunnel under the bridge and she landed on top  the Engine car and died.

The place where she was reported as being hit is where the train stopped.

There wasn’t any followup so the news story was not corrected. I hated that. It’s like her tragedy didn’t matter- and it did. She did matter.

 

On my train ride home that night I remember people being more quiet then usual- and by that I mean when someone is hit by a train on the ride home after the incident  people are animated and they talk really loud.

It’s a reaction to death- like if you talk loud enough death will stay away from you.

This time someone said, ” the holidays do that to some people.”

I’m pretty sure they meant the death that had just taken place behind us a few hours before.

I’m not sure how I feel about the holidays this year, but I think I’d rather think of it as something to look forward too instead of fearing.

Artist Unknown