Truth Be Told – Holidazed Edition Gene Gibson: Being Santa’s helper

COLFAX —  Gene Gibson and his wife, Connie, who is a teacher at Colfax High School, have lived in Colfax for 25 years. They have three sons: Reed, Grady, and Drew.

Gene is a stay-at-home dad. He has coached youth football and baseball and has worked with several CHS productions including “Once Upon a Mattress,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “Annie.”

During the “Truth Be Told — Holidazed Edition” event at the Colfax Municipal Building auditorium December 3, Gibson told the following story about Santa’s helper.

The Truth Be Told event drew nearly 150 people to the Colfax Municipal Building auditorium.

The event was hosted by Steve Russell and Kobi Shaw.

Here is Gene Gibson’s story:

There are special people every now and again because Santa cannot possibly do all of the things he needs to do at this busy time of the year. Some people have to help him and see the children and report back what they want. And every single person who is seeing Santa is seeing one of Santa’s helpers. These people are wonderful.

I didn’t know all of this myself until I got to be an adult. And I realized at some point that my father was one of those people.

I stumbled across this box in our basement, and I didn’t know what was in it. I looked, and I said, “Where did this come from?”

And he said, “You can’t tell anyone. You’re not supposed to tell anybody you are Santa’s helper.”

Now this is a funny kind of a thing.

My father was a gruff individual. But he had a heart of pure butter. He would melt immediately. But he was the kind of person who would look at you and yell, “HEY!” and you don’t expect Santa’s helper to say to you, “HEY!” but he would, and he would get away with it. Some people can do that.

When I found out about Santa’s helper, I was really excited. I have six sisters, and we have 22 nieces and nephews, including our children. We have a monster Christmas Eve celebration.

One year, we’d all gone to church, and we’re home, and there’s a monster feast. All of the adults are in food comas. The children are losing their minds. They’re running all over the place. The doorbell rang. It was Christmas Eve. Santa walks in. And I realize it’s Santa’s helper.

Now, these are small children. We’re talking about one-year-old children, two-year-old children. There’s a couple of high school kids.

And there are a couple of real pain-in-the-butt middle school kids.

So Santa’s helper is sitting on a chair, and he is talking to the small children who have a glow in their eyes. They love to share the magic of Christmas. He has the children in his lap, and he’s talking to them, and he’s reporting back what they want for Christmas because this is Christmas Eve. He’s trying to pass out a few presents.

And one of the pain-in-the-butt cousins comes up and starts poking Santa.

Now. You just don’t poke Santa. That’s just not what you do.

The cousin says, “You’re not the real Santa. You’re not the real Santa.”

But then Dad gave him that special glare that said, “Go away.”

And he did.

A little while later, he’s got another really nice little child on his lap, and he’s talking to the child and how are mom and dad, and (the middle schooler) comes back and starts pulling on his beard.

“You’re not the real Santa. You’re not the real Santa.”

Now, you don’t mess with Santa.

Especially when Santa has a short fuse.

He gave the small child back to his mother, and he beckoned to Jacob, my nephew, he beckoned to him so nicely, so he came over, and he put his ear next to Dad’s lips, and Santa’s helper told him —

“If you don’t slow down, Santa’s helper is going to take you outside and give you an attitude adjustment.”

Now this was not the warm, snuggly, ho-ho-ho that you expect from Santa. But it worked. Because boy, was Jake pretty good after that. He sat quietly. He listened to his parents. He was wonderful.

Passing it on

Dad told me long ago you cannot give the suit to just anybody. As I said, he had a special way of spreading magic and cheer and joy at Christmas time. And he loved it. But not everybody has that knack.

I asked him one time, “Would you please come over. My children are so excited. They just cannot fall asleep. Could you please just come over and ring a jingle bell, and chuckle something, ho-ho-ho, so they know Santa is on his way. Then they will go to sleep because everybody knows Santa can’t come until the children are asleep — and the children just won’t go to sleep.”

Unfortunately, Santa’s helper was sick. But my brother was home.

My brother is a wonderful human being. Anyone who knows him knows he is a wonderful guy.

But at this time, he was about 27. And he had not yet realized sound travels.

Instead of a soft, chuckling, ho-ho-ho, and a soft walking around outside and the gentle sleigh bell ringing we were expecting — we heard — the JANGLING, TERRIFYING sound of a sleigh bell.

He was right next to the window. It was just a little window. You didn’t need much effort. The sound goes right through the glass.

He’s jangling and stomping around outside like a bull, and I thought, “That’s not good. My children are now scared.”

But that wasn’t the worst part. Instead of a quiet “ho-ho-ho,” we heard — “HO-HO-HO!!!!”

Great.

My children now are going to be talking to a psychiatrist because Santa scared them.

This all just goes to show you can’t have the suit go to anybody. My father realized that, but he was aging, and he was not able to do the work of Santa’s helper he had done so joyously for years.

But he knew he couldn’t give it to Chad.

So he gave the suit to me.

A believer

I have the perfect physique for Santa’s suit. I put the suit on every now and again.

But the very first time that I put it on, I was asked to come to a Thanksgiving dinner for the needy. There was so much going on that day. Small children were saying what they wanted for Christmas.

At one point, I got a tap on the shoulder, and I turned, and Dad had tears in his eyes.

I thought, “This is not the man that I know.”

He said, “I’ve got a young man who wants to see you.”

He introduced me to Bobby who was a cognitively disabled boy about 17. He gave me the heads up with tears in his eyes, and I thought, “How is this going to be any good?”

After he gave me the heads up, he brought me over to this young man. His eyes were full of tears. Bobby’s eyes were full of tears.

When you have an opportunity to speak to someone with a direct connection to Santa, and you are a believer — this young man KNEW that I was going to tell Santa what he wanted. He was so excited. He was so special. And when he saw Santa, he lost it. This young man saw Santa’s helper. It’s those memories of wearing the suit that are wonderful.

Santa in Colfax

Not every memory is quite that touching. Sometimes things go dramatically wrong.

I once wore the suit here in town. And that was a mistake because at the time, my youngest child, who is not small. Drew is here. Many people know him. [Drew Gibson is in high school.] It was about the time they were in kindergarten, first grade. Maybe they were a little older than that. And I’m wearing the suit.

There’s a long line of children who want to tell Santa’s helper what they want for Christmas. I’m sitting there, and a young man sits down in my lap, and I realize it’s one of Drew’s good friends.

I won’t say his name — yes I will —

Noah Heidorn sat in my lap. He told me what he was looking for. I smiled at him and looked down at him, and as he looked up at me, he realized that I was me.

You have to be careful with that.

He looked at me, and then he turned and said to his mother behind him —

“THAT’S GENE GIBSON!”

There’s a long line of young people waiting to see Santa.

I gently put my arm around him and drew him in close [in a headlock] and I said, “Don’t ruin this for the little children.”

And he squeaked, “I won’t.”

You have to be careful when you’re dealing with children.

I’ve never pretended to be the real Santa. I know that I’m not. And Noah knew it too.

He was on the naughty list that year.

This suit means a lot to me because of the man from whom I received it. And what it means for those of you — for all of us — who like to spread the joy, the magic, the good cheer of Christmas.

I don’t get to wear it often enough, but when I do, it’s always special.

And I’m glad you’ve allowed me to tell you about Santa’s helper.