Santa is in
Enlargement
One of Santa’s Not-a-Peek-Show Elves, 2007 December, Macy’s, New York
Light box enlargement
Damn, what a brave soul.
For those who didn’t have the time to stand in the regular visit Santa Land line, there was the peek show version in which one was run past a window through which could briefly be ogled the merry guy in red.
“Just a peek! Just a peek!” the Peek Show Elves reprimanded any who dared linger longer than a microsecond.
Santa’s Peek Show Elves, 2007 December, Macy’s, New York
The costume designer for the elves didn’t make me feel all Christmas cheery. I instead felt sad.
Macy’s at Herald Square, the Saturday before Christmas, is a wild, wild place. It wasn’t my idea to be there but I was game and ready for a good time. Men in suits stood outside the elevators packing the people in but we should not call them elevator stuffers as they kept admonishing, “Don’t shove, don’t push.” As if any of us had room to shove or push. When our elevator appeared to drop from the 6th floor to the 4th (wham!) people around me screamed, but I did not, because I was game for a good time and as far as I was concerned it was just all part of the fun. The elevator sat there in nowhere land for a little while, wondering what it was going to do next, and a couple of individuals discussed when it would be appropriate to panic, but I did not panic, because I was game for a good time and this was part of the fun. Still, when the elevator did rev up and rise again and open its doors,as most everyone else poured off saying they would instead take the escalator to Santa Land, and as my mother-in-law and thus Marty and son were two of those who went, I too got off, though unconvinced the thrilling ride wasn’t a standard part of the Macy’s Christmas experience.
To tell you the truth, I don’t remember a thing about Santa Land, other than the expressions on the faces of the elves.
(Originally published 12/29/2007)
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