[CaptainCrunch]

Dear Santa;

It's me CaptainCrunch. I know I haven't written you in about 36 years. I guess I stopped believing in you when my Oldest Sister crushed an 8 year old me by telling me that no CaptainCrunch there is no Santa Claus in retaliation for me shooting her favorite Barbie Doll with a pellet gun (Hey boys will be boys). since that day that an 8 year old kid was forced to say good bye to one of the great beliefs and the world has seen a little less colorful and a lot more dark.

I thought I would write you this message because I believe that your sled is outfitted with all of the latest technology and you're receiving emails and messages as you streak around the world delivering presents over the next few hours.

I want to ask you for some things for some people

For my two young nephews, I want you to grant them a thirst for knowledge and history and the ability to rise above the OMG LOL IDK method of communication, I want to feel comfortable that my nephews and the other children of the next generation will do a better job of running this planet then the last couple of generations have.

for my oldest sister, I wish you would give her the gift of adventure, you see she's worked at the same job for 30 years, she's never traveled, she just doesn't take risks Santa, and I think that's a shame, I figure since we're only on this earth for a short period of time we should find a way to create our own adventures.

For the middle sister, please give her a sense of compassion and trust and patience, you see Santa, she's brilliant and she does amazing work in medical research and she brings hope to people everywhere who are suffering from serious diseases, but she's surly and unapproachable and she's alone. Please give her the ability to reach out and make connections so she can look back on her life with fondness and not bitterness.

For the youngest sister, give her happiness and health for her and her husband and her wonderful kids, let her grown old and see her kids achieve and graduate and be happy.

For my mother, a turn of the calender would be good, she's had a tough year seeing two of her younger sisters die of cancer, she needs something that will make her laugh and move on, maybe give her an Iphone with Angry Birds on it, you're the creative guy here.

For my dad, give him forgiveness, he knows that he's done some things that he even knows were wrong, and while people around him see him as funny and humorous and a man that tries to do the right thing, please teach him how to forgive himself.

For me, I don't need much Santa, you know what I've done and what I've seen. I saw the worst examples of humanity in a far away place that still keeps me up at night 25 years later. I saw that homeless man die in Downtown Dallas while pedestrians ignored him. I've seen things that to this day have made the world around me grey and colorless. So my gift request is simple. when your flying over Greece if you can find that cave (you know the one that I'm talking about) I'm sure that dust covered box is still there, the box that the foolish girl opened all those years ago and released war and pain and sickness and greed in the world. If you can just pop that box open and make sure that hope got out, its all the good Captain can ask for.

Santa, I want you to treat the members of the Calgarypuck community well this year. Behind their nicknames and avatars these are real people with real families and loved ones, if you can bring them an amazing and prosperous 2012 with health and happiness for all, I would be grateful . . . . oh and a Stanley Cup would be nice Santa.

Sincerely

CaptainCrunch

P.S. sorry Santa I couldn't stop by the store today to get the usual milk and cookies, I've laid out a bottle of the good stuff and some fine Cuban cigars . . . enjoy.