WEBVTT - The Real Santa

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<v Speaker 1>And we continue with our American stories. And it's Christmas

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<v Speaker 1>season and we're delivering you Christmas stories. Next, we have

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<v Speaker 1>Roger Latham from Fort Worth, Texas telling us a Christmas story.

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<v Speaker 1>He's titled The Real Center. Let's take a listen.

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<v Speaker 2>It was a Monday evening when, while driving home from

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<v Speaker 2>the office on a cold December day, I turned on

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<v Speaker 2>the local radio station, eager to listen to some Christmas music.

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<v Speaker 2>I heard being Seeing White Christmas, nat Offer Old Holy Night,

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<v Speaker 2>and Elvis Paint the color of blue things fluffy snow.

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<v Speaker 2>It was great. Then came a break in the melodic

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<v Speaker 2>melodies of the season, and an announcer came on the air.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's hope you all are ready for a wonderful Christmas

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<v Speaker 2>and that our music is helping create the magic of

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<v Speaker 2>the season. One family in our city is, however, in

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<v Speaker 2>need of some help. He called in today and told

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<v Speaker 2>us his eight year old son asked Santa for a bicycle,

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<v Speaker 2>and then he had no money to buy one. Can

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<v Speaker 2>anyone help? If there is a Santa in our audience,

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<v Speaker 2>please call? He gave the number. His words were a

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<v Speaker 2>bold pulled across my Christmas strata varius, and I called Hello,

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<v Speaker 2>I'll provide the bike. Where's it gold? The man on

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<v Speaker 2>the radio thanked me and gave me the address. I

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<v Speaker 2>scribbled it on a scrap of paper in my front seat.

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<v Speaker 2>On the following Friday, as my eight year old son

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<v Speaker 2>and I were watching some television, my precocious ten year

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<v Speaker 2>old daughter entered the room and offered a grand pronouncement,

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<v Speaker 2>I figured it out. Her statement came with a strong

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<v Speaker 2>willed conviction of adolescence. Oh really, what if you figure

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<v Speaker 2>it out now, darling, there is no Santa. It's you

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<v Speaker 2>and mom. I glanced at my son to Gage's reaction.

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<v Speaker 2>The look on his face portrayed a mix of shock, concern,

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<v Speaker 2>and a touch of panic. His older sister had just

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<v Speaker 2>violated the ancient rules of Santa Claus. I had to

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<v Speaker 2>think fast, being a salesman by trade and well versed

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<v Speaker 2>into spelling the objections of the disbelieving, I mustered a

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<v Speaker 2>quick retort, Sweetie, you're wrong Sata Israel, and I'll introduce

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<v Speaker 2>you to him tomorrow. She scoffed with a snort and

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<v Speaker 2>left the room. On Saturday, I loaded the family of

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<v Speaker 2>my Honda and we headed to the Northeast mall. As

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<v Speaker 2>we entered sears. Candy said, I've already been to see

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<v Speaker 2>this Santa. Remember I sat on his lap told him

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<v Speaker 2>what I wanted. That's not the real Santa. I said, Okay, now,

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<v Speaker 2>you kids, go pick out the best boy bike you

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<v Speaker 2>can find, one that an eight year old boy about

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<v Speaker 2>your brother's size would like. In ten minutes, they returned

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<v Speaker 2>with a shiny red bike sporting a banana seat and

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<v Speaker 2>raised handlebars. How's this, dad, my son asked, Do you

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<v Speaker 2>like it? That's all that matters. Now go pick out

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<v Speaker 2>another nice gift you'd like to receive from Santa. They

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<v Speaker 2>scurried off and picked another present and returned with a

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<v Speaker 2>large remote control truck. I paid for the merchandise and

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<v Speaker 2>we headed to the car. It was time to make

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<v Speaker 2>our way to the classroom and a tutorial over the

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<v Speaker 2>real Santa. The apartment complex was easy to find. It

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<v Speaker 2>sat in the sedious part of Arlington, Texas. The cars

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<v Speaker 2>parked on the street were lapid wrecks in desperate need

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<v Speaker 2>of major dent repair and gallons of paint. Upon finding

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<v Speaker 2>the right address, I parked and loaded the vehicle of kids,

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<v Speaker 2>bike and truck. Okay, daughter, you rolled a bike and

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<v Speaker 2>let your brother carry the truck. Arriving at the apartment door,

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<v Speaker 2>I knocked moments past, and a man the size of

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<v Speaker 2>a Dallas cowboy lineman must have been six foot five,

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<v Speaker 2>two hundred and ninety pounds, swung open the door. Boy,

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<v Speaker 2>you lost or something? This ain't exactly You're part of town.

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<v Speaker 2>His gruff tone softened as he noticed the bike. What's that?

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<v Speaker 2>A babe in a manger sent me over and told

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<v Speaker 2>me to bring this bike, I said. I motioned for

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<v Speaker 2>my son and disbelieving daughter to deliver the bike in

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<v Speaker 2>the toy. As they did, the giant man, whose name

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<v Speaker 2>I never learned, seemed to melt before my eyes. Tears

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<v Speaker 2>fl down his face, and he hugged me. Then the kids,

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you, sir, this is a fine blessing. He then

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<v Speaker 2>turned to the kids, thank you too, my little ones,

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<v Speaker 2>and Merry Christmas. His voice broke without further discussion. Santa

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<v Speaker 2>and his troop of elves bit a Merry Christmas ide

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<v Speaker 2>and headed back to the car. With everyone now installed

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<v Speaker 2>and buckled in, it was time for me to finish

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<v Speaker 2>the lesson. So, dear daughter, is Santa real? Her eyes

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<v Speaker 2>were teary and she stammered, yes, yes, yes, Daddy, it's you, No, sweetie,

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<v Speaker 2>Santa Claus is a spirit dwelling in every man and

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<v Speaker 2>woman of good faith who do for others that which

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<v Speaker 2>they cannot do for themselves. One day, I expect you

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<v Speaker 2>and your brother to show the world your Santa. My children,

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<v Speaker 2>now in their forties, still believe and will one day

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<v Speaker 2>teach my grandchildren how about today they met the real Sanna,

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<v Speaker 2>passing on their understanding of Christmas, the real Christmas. Merry

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<v Speaker 2>Christmas to all and made the spirit of Sannah bless

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<v Speaker 2>us all this year.

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<v Speaker 1>And a great job on the production by Greg Hangler

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<v Speaker 1>and a special thanks to Roger Latham from Fort Worth,

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<v Speaker 1>Texas for sharing this story and we can see it,

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<v Speaker 1>we can conjure it in our heads. That is the

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<v Speaker 1>power of spoken word. In the end, the pictures are

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<v Speaker 1>better because they're yours. And that moment where the sort

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<v Speaker 1>of gruff guy just starts breaking down and crying, then

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<v Speaker 1>going back to the car and asking his daughter his kids,

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<v Speaker 1>is Santa real and that daughter with tears in her

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<v Speaker 1>eyes saying yes, yes, yes, and the ending it's so beautiful.

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<v Speaker 1>I expect you and your brother to show the world

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<v Speaker 1>your Sanna, and my goodness. Yes, the American people. We

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<v Speaker 1>show our Sana to the world. Every year, four hundred

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<v Speaker 1>and fifty billion dollars a year we give. That's more

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<v Speaker 1>than the GDP of almost all the countries in the world.

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<v Speaker 1>But for thirty and we give away even more impressively,

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<v Speaker 1>nine billion hours of our time. The story of Roger Latham,

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<v Speaker 1>the real Sanna here on Our American Stories. Leehibib here

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<v Speaker 1>the host of Our American Stories. Every day on this show,

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<v Speaker 1>we're bringing inspiring stories from across this great country, stories

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<v Speaker 1>from our big cities and small towns. But we truly

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<v Speaker 1>can't do the show without you. Our stories are free

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<v Speaker 1>to listen to, but they're not free to make. If

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