Misfit Toys

Who can forget the holiday classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer? Etched in my memory for some fifty years now, it is as ubiquitous around Christmastime as fruitcake. The tale is told by an impeccably dressed snowman given life by animation and the throaty offerings of the long dead Burl Ives. As long as there are kids and Christmas this tale will entertain.

Rudolph had to suffer the indignity of a nose too bright (as I am sure many a holiday reveler has). His parents had to deal with the fact that their child was different. His attribute was seen as a liability, not an asset. As the tale progresses, his individuality comes to be celebrated. His parents, intoxicated with his celebrity again claim him as their very own.

Hermey is quite another story. Hermey was born into the family business and wanted no part of it. He suffered ridicule for being different. He was unique and the only way for him to gain acceptance was to give up on his foolish ideas. Hermey was an elf. He wanted to be a dentist. He endured the ridicule and pursued his dreams only to have his aspirations and his contributions validated in the end.

Rudolph and Hermey recognized they were different and found beauty in their differences on the Island of Misfit Toys. The island was full of eclectic toys which had peculiarities that made them no less valuable, just different.

The work place is full of misfit toys. Each of us has talents that have been celebrated and ridiculed. Some of us have tried so hard to fit in that we have lost our individuality and willingness to let ourselves shine brightly. Some of us try so hard to stand out we are dubbed misfits because of it. Some of us believe it is the other guy who is a misfit.

Like Rudolph and Hermey our individuality and our attitude differentiate us, each of us equally misfit but valuable in our own right.  Unlike Yukon Cornelius, we should be defined by our character and our contribution, not by our pile of Silver and Gold.