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PEOPLE
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The truth about Santa
Continued from Page 1
Faster than Prancer can dash across the sky,
W heeler snagged an interview and two days
later was suited up and handing out candy
canes at Vancouver Mall. He received no train
ing “because 1 was hired at the last minute. I
just used my own instincts,” he says modestly.
His instincts were as perfect as Rudolph’s
bright red nose. “You have to be very
quick...som etim es parents are more of a prob
lem than the kids,” he whispers, explaining
how he deals with punitive mothers and fathers
who try to force their children to confess their
bad deeds to Santa.
He simply replies with a spin worthy of a
C linton aide, “O h, I bet you’ve been good—
mostly.” Besides, he adds, “I’ve got to believe in
them if I expect them to believe in me."
Sounding more like Old Saint Nick by the
minute, Wheeler confides his solutions for tricky
situations. For
greedy kids who
can’t see
beyond the
length of
their wish list
he asks,
“W hat’s
something
nice you’ve
done
for someone
this year?"
That, he
explains with a
twinkle in his
voice, “helps
them think
outside them
selves, to think
of others. If
you give gifts
to people you
love, you’ll
always have
the spirit of
Santa in you.”
And what
And laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod...
about little
led. Some kids get so excited, jump up and down,
tykes who wonder if he’s real? “I poke ’em and
and some get so mesmerized they can’t talk.”
say, ‘Are you real?’ Then I ask them to pull on
So w hat does th e m an who plays Santa
my beard, and that usually convinces them,” he
think
is th e real spirit of Christm as? “Just
says with a hearty, good-natured chuckle.
giving. I’m very spiritual myself, and I paral
Wheeler also prefers to rely on his own belly
lel Santa Claus with the Holy Spirit. I feel
full of jelly, which puts him on the lighter side of
the Santa scale, although he has an answer for
Santa can be used for good or bad. For some
kids it’s ‘me, me, m e,’ which can turn it into
that, too. “W hen adults say, ‘Santa, you’ve lost
a negative thing, or you can give in th e spir
weight,’ I say, ‘Yeah, Mrs. Claus has me on a
it of love. But as S anta I stay neutral," he
diet—she takes good care of me.’ ”
explains diplomatically.
O f course, there are heartbreaking moments,
too. This year a young girl told him, “All I want
ot surprisingly, Wheeler keeps busy the rest of
is to be able to see my sister,” W heeler pauses,
the year doing a number of Claus-like things.
clearly saddened at the memory. “I said, ‘Oh,
“I do foster grandparent work through the
wouldn’t that be nice...I hope that happens.’
She didn’t want any toys— just to see her sister.” schools, tutoring kids who need extra help. I’m at
Most of the children, however, “are really tick a middle school, and they think it’s neat that
N
Santa works at their school, so 1 showed up
at their family night.”
A t the other end of the life cycle, he
is also a senior companion, helping folks
stay independent longer. “1 take people
shopping or do errands. O ne fellow is
blind, so 1 read his mail and write checks
for him.”
As if that’s not enough, Wheeler also
works at a church one day a week. H e’s
found his own spiritual home in the
Anawim Community of gay men who
meet for Christian meditation and prayer.
“I attend for the prayer and discus
sions we have there,” he says of the
group, which attracts about 15 people.
“W e’ve really become a community, and
we do a lot of sharing.”
his year W heeler even bought his
own Santa suit, and he plans to
spread more season’s greetings next
year. “But not at the mall. I’m gonna do it on
my own, do more gay events,” he says, referring
to his recent appearance at the holiday party
held by the Portland chapter of Parents and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays, of which he is
also a member.
So what does this special Santa wish for the
gay community? “That we continue to keep mak
ing progress in becoming more accepted in soci
ety and acquire our basic rights. That’s my wish.”
If anyone can help make that come true,
maybe it’s the big-hearted guy in the snazzy red
suit,
T
jn
You still can see A rt W heeler as Santa from 4
until 9 p.m. Dec. 21 and from 4 until 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 24 at Vancouver Mall.
i
Please join us
soon to share our passion
for good food
and friendship in a
romantic setting
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