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JACKSON NEIGHBORS: For Tyler, Santa could come in a patrol car
At 8 years old, Tyler Starner knows Shannon Queen is not Santa Claus. He’s not got the belly, beard or sleigh for it.
“Actually, he doesn’t need a beard to be Santa Claus, because Santa Claus once didn’t have a beard when he was a kid,” Tyler said. “Plus, I saw Santa Claus driving a Chevrolet. He doesn’t need a sleigh on days like today.”
Tyler Starner, right, and pseudo-Santa Lt. Shannon Queen enjoy some lunch after a frantic hour of shopping.
So Queen could be the man in red, but he’s not. Tyler knows that. But Queen did help bring Christmas to Tyler and his family.
“He brought me shopping. We had fun. He’s a funny guy,” Tyler said with a smile.
Queen, a lieutenant with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, helped Tyler, a third-grader at Fairview, do his Christmas shopping at Wal-Mart during the Sheriff’s Office’s second annual “Shop with a Cop.” Tyler got $50 to spend however he wanted, and he knew just where to go first.
“I got something for my mom and my stepdad and my sister. I got her two things. I got her something she’s always wanted,” Tyler said.
We can’t share what Tyler got his family; after all Christmas isn’t until Sunday. Rest assured the boy is quite a shopper and his family should be very happy come Christmas morning.
With Queen’s direction, Tyler did spend a bit on himself, too. He bought a radio controlled “funny-looking thing” to play with.
For his part in the shopping excursion, Tyler knew how to reward Queen. When the children were served lunch, Tyler split his cookie in half to give to his substitute Santa.
Too often we hear some codger getting down on “kids today.” Preachers proclaim that modern children miss the point of Christmas.
When Tyler was given a cupcake, he passed it to Queen, insisting the lieutenant eat his allotted dessert. When he learned there were extra cakes to be given out, Tyler secured one for Queen, himself and the reporter he was talking to.
“Here, this is for you. They’re for special people like you,” Tyler said.
For all the worrying we adults do that kids are missing the point of Christmas, young ones like Tyler could teach us all a thing or two.
“My favorite part of Christmas is sharing. I love Christmas because it’s Christ-mas,” Tyler said, emphasizing the “Christ.” “Jesus is God’s son and Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus’ birthday. That’s what it’s all about.”
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