In my town there was a large wood products company where hundreds of people worked. Whenever a new worker arrived on the scene, the older workers liked to tell the story of how the company president got his job.
He was a young guy who went off to the university and got himself a good education. When he finally graduated, the economy was pretty slow, so he came home and took a lowly job at the wood products company working in the warehouse.
Not only was this fella smart, but he was also hard working and conscientious. Within six months, management took him out of the warehouse and gave him a job as a salesman. Six months later he was made sales manager and before anyone realized it, this young fella was appointed general manager of the whole plant.
It couldn’t have been more than a few days after his latest promotion when the company president called this young dynamo into his fancy, wood-paneled office. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the older man got right to the point of the meeting.
“As you can probably tell, I’m not getting any younger, and I’ve made plans to retire soon. After thinking it over for quite a while, now, I’ve decided to make you president of the company, upon my retirement at the end of the month.”
Overwhelmed, the young man jumped to his feet and said, “Gee, thanks.”
“Gee, thanks?” said the president, in a mocking tone. “You’ve been with the company barely a year, I’m about to make you president and all you can think to say is ‘Gee, thanks?'”
“I’m sorry,” said the young man. “I mean, gee, thanks Dad.”
Then all the veteran employees in the break room would roar laughing at the clever punch line as the new employee sat there smiling.
But the story doesn’t end there. Nor does the small town gossip. There was more.
Before another year went by this same young executive started thinking about getting married. He had been dating a young teacher at the high school and the young couple decided they wanted to have a May wedding. They planned to honeymoon in Bermuda and anyone who knows will tell you that May is the best time of the year to be in Bermuda.
To give you an idea of how influential this young man’s family was, the local school committee agreed to let his bride-to-be have time off for the marriage and honeymoon. They then authorized the hiring of a friend of the bride’s, Donna Shelden, to serve as a substitute teacher during her absence. The couple had their beautiful May wedding and went off to Bermuda for their honeymoon.
A few weeks later, while the new bride was off visiting an ailing relative, the groom was invited to a party in town. The hostess was introducing the new groom to the guests and eventually she came to Donna, the bride’s friend. As the hostess began introducing them the young husband stopped her, and managed to raise a few eyebrows among the guests when he said, “Oh, Donna and I know each other very well. She did a great job of substituting for my wife during our honeymoon.”
John McDonald is the author of “A Moose and a Lobster Walk into a Bar,” “Down the road a piece,” “The Maine Dictionary” and “Nothin’ but Puffins.” Contact him at Mainestoryteller@yahoo.com.
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