Which is the real Santa...?

In my own little twisted way, I referenced this back in my Halloween piece about a month ago. This week I am once again trying to provoke some thought and personal introspection in our fire service lives.

We know at this time of the year whenever we go shopping we see a million Santa Claus people at every retail shop we go to.

Hey they must be Santa, after all they dress like Santa and they are acting like Santa and they got the nice suits and all, so hey they must be real.

It is unfortunate that as of late and at various times throughout my career I have been faced with folks that I thought were firefighters cause they had the suit and stuff, and they sorted acted like firefighters, but I think that much as when I was younger I have been tricked!

You see I have finally figured out ( I am a classic slow learner) that real firefighters will be found and identified even if they are not wearing the suit. It is how they feel about helping others, it is how they feel about what the "brotherhood" (and sisterhood) is all about. It is about challenging themselves to be better, smarter and stronger, not for them but so they can use it to help somebody else.

It is about a sense of humor that is "just not right" to any other "normal person".

And we can find these things if we just know what we are looking for. Hey it even works with Santa too you know. All of those guys in suits are not the real Santa. Yes I know that is blasphemy, but the real Santa is the one who makes things happen magically and we don't know how or why. The real Santa really was mom and dad who made sure we were provided for even when we didn't have enough to go around. Heck that's how we know and can spot him.

The real tricky thing about this weeks commentary is not how you can spot a real Santa from a phony Santa or a real firefighter from a pretender, but it could be how you can tell a firefighter from Santa!

Hey there are some similarities between firefighters and Santa.....

OK, so both of them sometimes have struggled with a weight problem.

Alright, you leave milk and cookies on a table with nobody around at night....who took them a firefighter or Santa? (Hint: If there is a dirty dish and a small piece of cookie left, it's a firefighter!)

Ok, so what about the big bushy mustaches? (Firefighters will be the ones without the beards)

...and the white hair and stuff. (Need I say any more, I have seen my mirror!)

Hey we both work holidays.

We both do Chimneys.

We both work nights.

Santa has elves in the workshop to help, we have probies!

Santa helps everybody no matter who or where they are. (Need I say more)

Santa trains all year for one big job and one big night, ....hey you figure it out.

....yeah well we both drive real fast too!

Red suit, red trucks....Ha what a coincidence.

Ok so have a good week, and try to see if you can determine who the real firefighters are and who are the "helpers" just wearing the suit OK?

And if you got any or your own similarities to Santa and firefighters send them in and we will post them on Xmas weekend.

Stay safe.