But y'are, Blanche, y'are!

"If you want to you, be you. If you want to be me, be me." So sang Cat Stevens in the infamous song that accompanied the 1971 movie,"Harold and Maude". I am pretty sure everyone of us goes through an identity crisis at one time or another in our lives. The trick is to decide and discover who you are, and then be comfortable in your own skin.

In my formative years, I was convinced I wanted to have a career in medicine, following in the footsteps of my uncle, a great doctor. When I got into college and began taking the classes that would put me on a path toward a life in medicine, I discovered I absolutely hated it! What I was drawn to, what I absolutely loved was the arts; performing, writing. I thrived in these areas. So, I changed my major from Biological Sciences to Mass Communications. I was much happier and I excelled there.

At the age of twenty-nine, I had to admit to myself that I loved being in front of an audience. It was then I began my acting career. Interesting how differently for good or ill we see ourselves as opposed to what others observe. All of my acting buddies kept telling me I'd make a great Santa Claus. Their assessments rankled me. I saw myself, or at least wanted to see myself as a swashbuckling, handsome, and well muscled character actor. As they say, "One out of three ain't bad!" Okay so I was just a character actor, alright?

I continued to resist being pigeon holed as Santa Claus. Then one day I had a shattering experience. I gazed at myself in the mirror after stepping out of the shower. The person who looked back at me was not swashbuckling, well-muscled, or handsome; he was however, Santa Claus. "#@**!!," I said. "I'm friggin' Santa Claus." Like it or not what was, was! "I don't want to be Santa Claus", I yelled at the mirror. Then I could hear in my mind, Bette Davis in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" as she shrieked, "But y'are, Blanche, y'are," at Joan Crawford. And, Gene Wilder's mantra from "Young Frankenstein", uttered during a nightmare, "Destiny, destiny, no escaping, not for me!" How did this happen? Don't know, but it did. So, I decided to embrace being the Jolly Old Elf.

I immediately became an Elf in Training. Before long, I took over the reins of Santa's sleigh at the North Pole, and my best friends became elves and reindeer. I finally knew who I was, and all was right with the world. Interestingly, I have run across children who have also mistaken me for Jesus. Talk about delusional! One kid even greeted me as Big Bird when I was at Disneyland! Really kid, Big Bird?

Knowing who you are and being, and accepting yourself are key elements to real happiness. Why do you think I'm always wishing everyone a "Happy Christmas"?

Anyhow, that's how Santa sees it!