When Layla Caraway is not happy about something, alarm bells ring, with concern expressed, by many, wondering and worrying what it is which has earned the Caraway wrath.
Well, you can read all about it via a slightly edited version of the Caraway Facebook post which details Fort Worth's latest embarrassment in all its shameful shame....
Okay, here's the deal - Saturday when we were downtown we stopped at the Santa line. We got in line (since it was short and I have something to tell Santa).
We were quickly told by another couple the line was closed. Oh, okay, no problem. Those in front of us must have been there before the line closed.
As we are exiting the line, I notice they are closing the gates to Santa, with the people still in line??
Confused I watch as two little girls in two different families dissolve into complete meltdown.
Seriously?
With the few people standing in line, only 2 had kids, couldn't Santa see the 2 kids who had stood in line to see him?
I asked the kid guarding the gates, what gives? Let the kids go.
He said Santa closes at 9:30.
Looking at the big digital clock over the square, I pointed and told him, it's 9:25.
His response?
The clock is slow.
Seriously. He told me there was nothing he could do. I told him I wouldn't want his karma.
We lost sight of one of the broken-hearted girls, but almost everyone in Sundance Square was watching the other who could not stop crying.
So I went to the stage and told the kid on the stage, I will pay double the donation amount if you'll let that kid have one minute with Santa. He said he couldn't. I told him I want to know who your boss is, and don't say Santa. He laughed and told me he was a volunteer. Okay, who do you report to when you show up? He looked around lost and couldn't find them.
I then asked who he is volunteering for, Downtown, Inc?
That's when he told me Sister Cities.
You've got to be kidding. Lots of Santa money which could be going to CASA for abused kids, Tarrant Area Food Bank for hungry ones, or Union Gospel Mission for homeless ones is going to Sister Cities?
So I did the only thing I could think of, I took a $5 out of my purse, asked the mom if I could say something to her kid, and told her, Santa wanted me to tell you he's sorry that he has to leave but he wanted me to give you this and tell you he will see you soon and he knows you're a very good girl. Her family was very thankful, I just hope she tells everyone that Santa gave her $5 bucks.
And it saved me from accidentally making a donation to Sister Cities.
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Fort Worth farms out its Santa to a Sister Cities charity fund raising operation? With the Sister Cities Santa being installed on a throne in downtown Fort Worth's Sundance Square Plaza? Where Santa closes shop whilst kids are still in line waiting to see him?
Somehow this seems to me to be a perfect metaphor for what a messed up town Fort Worth is.
A town with few streets with sidewalks, few parks without outhouses, multiple absurd boondoggles, boarded up eyesores, like downtown's Heritage Park, built to celebrate Fort Worth's heritage, but which also serves as a metaphor for Fort Worth's inept slow motion way of getting little done.
Can't Fort Worth manage to stick a Santa in its downtown plaza, without having to resort to it being a money raising charity operation?
A charity operation which leaves kids in tears, and adults disgusted....
1 comment:
Golly, I ALMOST got to go to Sundance Square on Monday. However, they cancelled the trial and said my jury duty was complete. I thought about using my summons to take the TRE in to Fort Worth anyway, but it seemed a little much to do all that for a Starbucks.
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