Kevin Reynolds
V_102
3rd Place Award


Well Virginia,

What your friends have told you is true; there is indeed no Santa
Claus.  But, while Santa Claus himself may not exist, it is
important to remember than the essential principle behind him is
quite real.  Santa is just the name we tell to children for an
idea - the idea that we should be kind to each other, and that
kindness is rewarding.  You are old enough now to understand this
idea on its own, without having to call it a silly name.

As a member of an interconnected society, everything you do
affects others in some way.  Depending on the nature of your
actions, the effect you have on others can be beneficial or
harmful, and for every good deed we do, society improves by some
small amount.  If everyone in our society were to embrace this
principle of mutual kindness, we could have a vastly improved
experience of life.  Now, this is a somewhat unrealistic goal,
but if we each do our part simply by being kind to our fellow
man, then we move ever closer to it.

The eventual creation of a utopic society of mutual goodwill and
charity is the real reason we tell children that some Santa (or
Jesus!) figure is watching and judging their every action. 
However, as a bright young girl, I see no reason to perpetuate
this unnecessary dishonesty onto you; I hope instead you can
understand the underlying reasoning behind them, and choose
instead to act accordingly purely out of a desire to improve
yourself as a person and society as a whole, rather than the fear
of an omniscient judge.  In the end, you are the only one who can
judge yourself and your actions, and if you do something that you
know is immoral, while you may suffer some material consequence,
the greater weight will be upon your conscience.  Likewise, if
you do a good deed, while the Santa construct suggests that your
reward will be presents, the real reward is knowing that you have
actively contributed to the betterment of mankind.

Virginia, I know you may be upset to know that Santa (and Jesus,
and God, and all the silly names we make up to try and make
people behave with compassion toward each other), but take heart
in the knowledge that the pure truth of mankind's unlimited
potential is infinitely more beautiful.