Britt Fairchild / Features Writer | Posted: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 12:00 am
Life always gets a bit busier this time of year for David Bourbon Sr.
There/s the shopping of course 77 about ,1,500 worth of candy and gifts for those on his Christmas list, which, he said, he likes to do in one fell swoop.
There/s the holiday gatherings. Appearing at all of them, particularly on Christmas Eve, can be quite a challenge.
Then there/s the whole red-suit-and-beard thing.
Getting ready for his annual holiday outing takes Bourbon a good hour.
But never mind all that.
The Santa Maria resident apparently can/t get enough of being "Santa Claus."
Occasionally, especially around the holidays, the real Saint Nick is extremely busy at the North Pole, supervising the toymaking elves and preparing his sleigh for the big night. On those occasions when Santa is too busy to visit events in the more southern climes, like the Central Coast, he needs someone to fill in for him.
When that happens, Bourbon steps in.
He/s played the part of the jolly fellow who sneaks down chimneys to bring presents to nice girls and boys on Christmas for 38 years.
"I love to do it," he said. "I guess you could say it/s in my blood."
Ironically, Bourbon felt differently in 1966, the first year he was Santa.
The idea was a request from his brother, Angel, who had planned to be Santa himself and visit the children in his neighborhood, but couldn/t do it because he had to work.
"I said, /Santa Claus. I don/t know how to play Santa Claus./ But how can anyone say /No/ to an Angel?" Bourbon said.
Bourbon admitted he was afraid at first, not knowing if anyone would believe he was Santa.
On the contrary, the children he visited were so excited to see "Santa," that he ended up going to many more houses than he/d originally planned to.
Bourbon was hooked.
"I/ve been doing it ever since," he said.
The next year, Bourbon expanded his reach to include visits to hospitals, nursing homes, homeless and battered women/s shelters, schools and more.
One year, he even traveled to a hospital in Los Angeles to visit a Santa Maria boy who was receiving treatment there.
Before his trips to the hospital, Bourbon said, he calls ahead to learn the names of the children, their ages and room numbers. This alone is enough information to help him find suitable gifts, he said.
"I have eight children of my own, six boys and two girls, so I more or less know what they want or need," Bourbon said.
While most of the children appreciate Bourbon/s gifts, there have been exceptions, and more than just the harmless beard-pulling.
The boy who kicked him in the shin because Bourbon gave him a red bike instead of a blue bike stands out in particular.
For Bourbon, that reinforced his motto of not promising children any certain gift, but rather telling them "I/ll see what I can do."
Even adults enjoy seeing Bourbon. In fact, some of Bourbon/s most grateful recipients have been the adults he/s visited at hospitals and nursing homes.
"Some of the patients will start to cry and say, /I can/t believe Santa came to see me,/" Bourbon said. "I get real happy watching the glitter in their eyes and their smiles, knowing I did something good for them."
Other memories stand out for different reasons, like the handful of years he/s been caught in downpours of rain.
"Santa Claus has got to keep going, though," Bourbon said.
Perhaps his most unusual experience was when a man at a Christmas party, who could have been drinking, offered him ,20 to let him punch Bourbon in the stomach. Apparently, Bourbon noted, the man told him he had always wanted to hit "Santa" in the stomach.
"He hit me pretty hard," Bourbon said, adding he told the man that he would let him hit him again for another ,20.
The man didn/t go for it.
With just a handful of days left until Christmas, Bourbon is gearing up for this year/s festivities, which, he said, usually keep him busy from 5 to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve.
Before the night is over, Bourbon said, he will make more than 20 stops around town.
Several organizations have approached Bourbon about working with them, but he/s refused. He likes using his own money to fund the annual effort, which, on average, costs him about ,1,500.
"If I went through an organization and they gave me money, that would take all the fun out of it," he said.
Bourbon credited the following rule to being a successful Santa: Make lots of noise. He always travels with lots of bells. That includes making noise even before stepping foot inside the place he/s visiting. Be joyful and make sure to greet everyone in the room or at the party.
In the 38 years Bourbon has been doing this, he/s only missed one year of being Santa. That was the Christmas after his wife, Lina/s, death almost three years ago. Lina often played Mrs. Claus and helped apply Bourbon/s makeup and made sure no whisker was out of place. She also would drive him to each holiday engagement.
To look more like Santa, Bourbon stuffs his suit with a king-size pillow, which makes it more difficult to fit behind the steering wheel, he said.
Now, Bourbon/s daughter, Gerri, acts as Mrs. Claus.
Bourbon, who is 69 and a retired cable inspector, said he will continue being Santa for as long as he/s able.
"She would want me to do it," he said of his wife.
* Staff Writer Britt Fairchild can be reached at 739-2220 or by e-mail at bfairchild@pulitzer.net.
Dec. 19, 2004