On my nightly walking route, I pass by an Army surplus store. Last week after Thanksgiving, they had someone paint festive holiday scenes on their storefront windows. The paintings weren't complete the first day. Only the white was laid down. First I saw a few snowmen, then a few reindeer and then I saw Santa riding a fighter jet with an American flag flying off the back. It seemed appropriate enough and made the last few blocks a little more jaunty.
Today, I passed by the completed store window. Red, green and black details had been added into the white and the scene really took shape. Most stuck to the same motif the store had set out, but two really stood out. First, the snowman sporting camouflage. Perhaps it's just me, but I thought that being made out of the ground materials and a pure white would be more masking than sporting a red and green camo jacket. But I could let that one go. Next came the plane riding Santa. This time, he was holding up an assault rifle with a scope. He didn't seem to be hunting the reindeer, but it was a little disturbing to see the man known for sneaking into houses carrying a weapon. Did I miss something? Does Santa actually break and enter with force? Perhaps his belly is merely a hollowed out shell used to conceal hand grenades. Either way, seeing Santa with a gun raised above his head is disturbing.
But maybe that's just me.
