Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, But...

EDITORIAL - Thursday, December 25, 2008 - Few of us would ever dream of doubting that Santa Claus is real. We are all reasonably sure that that Easter Bunny brings us candy and goodies every year, and we have all had cold hard cash stashed under our pillows when we've lost a tooth. But, did you ever notice that no one has ever provided clear photographic evidence that any of these icons really exist? We've all seen mall Santas, and those ringing the bell for the Salvation Army, but we all know that none of them is the real St. Nick. They're just his helpers. The only time we see the Easter Bunny, it's just some guy in a polyester bunny suit. We can tell it isn't the real Easter Bunny.  And as far as the Tooth Fairy goes, I have only seen drawings of that little imp. Can you imagine what a clear photograph of any of these three would be worth?

What would happen is somebody were ever able to provide clear photographs of Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster, or UFO's? The only existing photos are grainy; they lack detail; and they are out-of-focus. Because these images are of such poor quality, most people doubt their very existence. A clear photograph of any of these things would go a long, long way towards proving that they are real.

I often wondered why nobody was ever able to provide a clear photograph of any of these things. There have been hundreds of sightings over the years, but every time a photo is taken, it's of poor quality and out-of-focus. Certainly someone in all this time could have taken a clear photo! Are these things real? Or are they just a hoax? The horrible pictures make you wonder.

Well, on Monday night, this reporter was given an opportunity of a lifetime. Being "on call" for the Superior Chronicle, I generally carry my camera where ever I go. Every photographer's dream is to capture something so unique that it makes you rich and famous. I was so excited. I could finally prove a rumor that has been going around for years. All I needed to do was to relax and take a sharp, clear photo and I would have had the undeniable evidence I needed.

I could have been the first person to be able to prove that Lion's fans exist,  but I blew it! I was so anxious to get the shot that I didn't wait for the auto-focus to do its thing! Now the Lion's fan debate will continue. It makes sense that there are life forms on earth that we are unaware of. Big Foot and the Loch Ness monster could exist! And why couldn't life forms more sophisticated than ours be traveling the universe? Some day the camera will prove these things to be real. But to publicly, openly and proudly support an NFL team that is 0-15? This is something that cannot be explained.