Letter to Santa Claus

I was cleaning out some old files and came across a newspaper from Christmas 1948. Flipping through it's yellowed crackly pages, I found printed therein a letter to Santa that I had written as a 10-year old. My letter reads as follows:

Dear Santa Claus:
I would like to have a sled and a football to go along with it for Christmas. I would also like to have a flesh bulb holder and a pair of ice skates for this winter. I do not now to ice skate; that is why I want the ice skates. I want the flesh bulb holder for my Agfa camera. Your good boy.
P.S. Please stick in a 22 long riffle and some bubble gum by mistake. I'will keep it secret.

I can't remember whether I got any of the gifts requested. I may have got the sled to share with my brothers. I know I didn't get a football, a flash for my camera, ice skates, a rifle or bubblegum. Somehow, I think my brothers and I had a football at our disposal.

I bought myself ice skates when I was in my thirties. I learned to ice skate so I could clear snow from the ice so my children could skate. Thankfully, I could lean on the shovel to stay erect until I developed enough skill to manage on my own.

I have never owned a 22-caliber rifle. At 10 years old, I didn't realize that the word 'long' referred to the shell casing size rather than the rifle's barrel length. I can't imagine why I even asked for one. I guess I was just trying to push the envelope with Santa. I ended up owning two pistols, a fine shotgun and a bolt-action 30-06 rifle.

One thing I didn't ask for, but could have used was better spelling skills. Somehow I picked those up along the way.

The moral of this story is: Ask, and if you don't receive, don't loose faith. You may eventually get what you want, even if you have to pay for it yourself.