Kermit the Frog once observed, “It’s not that easy being green.” If by being green Kermit meant being true to yourself and pursuing your dreams, the subject of today’s post would likely agree.
If he meant drive a hybrid and recycle your dental floss, you may want to stop here and recycle today’s post because that’s not where we're going.
It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 50 years since northern woods resident Herm shared the big secret with his boss and coworkers: he wasn’t happy in his work. Herm’s confession was a big deal back then because being happy was a big part of the corporate identity at the far north manufacturing assembly plant where he worked.
Herm’s boss was incredulous at his team member’s admission but deadlines are deadlines. Herm’s lack of focus and preoccupation with pursuing his real passion was hurting the business’s production quota, and the company’s entire distribution schedule was in jeopardy.
Knowing that one of his team was unhappy made Herm’s boss unhappy, so finally the gruff-speaking foreman pressed his disgruntled employee for specifics: “What’s eatin’ you, boy?”
Without even thinking, Herm blurted out exactly why he was unhappy. At that point, work on the assembly line came to an abrupt standstill and you could have heard a gumdrop drop. Mocking him, his boss repeated what Herm had just said to the other employees.
Within seconds the room was abuzz with excited whispering and exclamations of surprise and indignation. “Toy shame on you,” his shocked and disapproving coworkers said in unison.
Angry and confused at Herm’s revelation, his boss sarcastically asked him if he cared to share what it was he’d rather be doing. Upon hearing Herm’s answer, his boss went ballistic. He abruptly cancelled Herm’s scheduled work break, and after the other employees had filed out aghast at what they'd heard, the boss gave him a choice: finish the job or face immediate termination.
In a moment of youthful impulsiveness, young Herm, or Hermey as he was called then, decided to chuck it all right then and there and go his own way.
Fortunately real life tends to imitate the movies and often has a happy ending.
During a dramatic soul-searching period where he befriended others that were having trouble finding their professional niche, Herm and his pals experienced a brief series of adventures (about 15 minutes worth) where they solved the riddle of The Abominable Snowman and saved Christmas before returning home where Herm later founded North Pole Dental World, LLC.
(NOTE TO READERS): Herm the Elf told Agent Straight-Talk in an email this week that he dropped Hermey years ago because of fears his movie career would interfere with building his dental practice.)
Anyway, last month Herm was honored by the American Dental Association (ADA) as a Dental Do Gooder, or DDG, for promoting good oral health to all the residents of the North Pole.
“Hermey’s passion for dentistry, coupled with his devotion to helping others feel good about themselves inside and out, deserves recognition,” said ADA President Maxine Feinberg, DDS. “I know Hermey the Elf, DDG, will continue to inspire young people and those who are young at heart to follow their dreams.”
Today Herm the Elf, DDS and now DDG, runs a bustling dental practice just two blocks from Santa’s workshop. He offers a full line of dental services, including general and cosmetic procedures, endodontic, periodontal and orthodontic services. Oh, and he accepts all of our plans!
For those of you who have missed our social media messages the past week or our corporate sponsorship of the 2014 North Pole All-Stars Hockey tournament (hockey is a great advertising vehicle for the necessity of good dental coverage), Dental Insurance Store is also sponsoring the Candy Cane Hotline at 1-866-CLAUS34 (1-866-252-8734).
Candy Cane Hotline is a direct toll-free line to the North Pole and Santa’s workshop where kids or their parents can call to listen to messages from Santa himself. There’s more than one message from Santa so call as often as you want and share this with others!
Thanks for reading Agent Straight-Talk, and you know – there’s still time to keep your 2014 resolution to invest in a good dental plan - barely! To find plans available in your area, click here. And just between us, Santa’s giving good boy/good girl bonus points if you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and LinkedIn.
Source: cnbc.com
Photo source: northpolegallery.com
Copyright 2014, Bloom Insurance Agency, LLC