A Letter from Larry
FRIDAY
December 14, 2018
Good Friday Morning Everyone:
Christmas is a little over a week away. The TV program about
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer has been on TV several times
recently. The story of Rudolph is being demonized by the Main
Stream Media these days and it just ticks me off!!!
I want to share with you the real story about Rudolph that I know
and love and will continue to despite the Media..
The True Story of Rudolph
A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his
drafty apartment window into the chilling December night. His 4-
year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife,
Evelyn, was dying of cancer.
Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never
come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked,
"Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?"
Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question
brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of
Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob. Small when he
was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little
at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd
rather not remember.
From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob
did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to
get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression.
Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived.
Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and
now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room
apartment in the Chicago slums.
Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938. Bob struggled to
give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a
Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to
make one - a storybook!
Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the
animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again
and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling.
Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob
May created was his own autobiography in fable form.
The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name
of the character?
A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose.
Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on
Christmas Day.
But the story doesn't end there.
The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights
to print the book.
Wards went on to print, "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By
1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million
copies of Rudolph.
That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights
from Wards to print an updated version of the book. In an
unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned
all rights back to Bob May.
The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals
followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family,
became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving
daughter. But the story doesn't end there either.
Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to
Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular
vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, it was recorded by
the singing cowboy, Gene Autry.
"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling
more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception
of "White Christmas."
The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long
ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again.
And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph,
that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be
a blessing.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
As Paul Harvey used to say, "And now you know the rest of the
Story!!!"
Much love,
Larry
NOTE: This letter is sent to anyone interested in receiving these inspirational notes. There is no charge and you are encouraged to forward these to anyone you think would benefit from reading them. If you would like to receive them direct, just send an email to me at
larryperry@att.net and request to be added to the Letters from Larry list.
