A friend asked us if we were going to have M believe in Santa. The phrasing felt strange, but it’s a completely logical question that hit like a bag of bricks. Oh god, I hadn’t thought of that yet. And so we find ourselves facing yet another tricky parenting conundrum before M can even sit up on their own.
Personally, generally, the word ‘belief’ doesn’t resonate. Too many connotations of faith and religion, which I steer clear of. If I can use a different word I will.
But the notion of being in a position to control what another person believes to be true? It sounds like something out of a dystopian science fiction novel.
Funny coincidence: I’m currently reading The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa. In the book, an (as yet?) unseen government will ‘disappear’ things, and when they do, the people destroy those things and stop remembering (unbelieve?) them altogether. Well, most people.
I’m about two-thirds of the way through. It reminds me of The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami, and also The Giver by Lois Lowry. If you liked any of those books you should give The Memory Police a try.
I have a vague memory of the time I learned Santa wasn’t ‘real’. I was young. My Grandma was on the phone, long distance, and as soon as it was my turn to talk to her I blurted it out like, “Hey Grandma, I just found out Santa isn’t real.”
I was so smug, I said it so matter-of-fact, expecting to receive some sort of prize for figuring it out. Like it was some puzzle all along. Maybe now I could sit at the adults table? Instead, as I want to recall, I could feel melancholy radiating from Grandma through the phone.
On a different, more upbeat note: you should listen to Believe by the Chemical Brothers. It’s a super catchy track from their 2005 album, Push the Button, featuring vocals from the lead singer of Bloc Party (remember them? Like drinking poison, like eating glass).
I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.
—Michael Scott
This post is part of the IndieWeb carnival for December 2024 hosted by Zinzy on the topic of belief.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.