As the days tick down to our annual (and much needed!) holiday break I wanted to take a moment to wish each and every one of you happy holidays…and share a few thoughts on this industry we work in and our organization that represents it.
Every year the Ferrara family has a few ironclad holiday traditions. One of the longest lasting (and fondest I might add) is gathering the family around the TV to watch the holiday classic, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. I know…in a world of iPhones, Twitter, Instagram, PS4 and such… Rankin/Bass’ quaint 1964 story of acceptance and redemption seems a likely candidate to disappear into the digital ether but for our family, and many millions more across the country, it is still a must-see annual holiday tradition.
I watched it with my folks back in the sixties. My daughter watched it with me in the eighties, and now my granddaughter has joined the party in 2013! I wonder if Rudolph’s creative team could truly comprehend the legacy they were crafting? The impact their little stop-motion program has transcended generations. So what’s my point?
In a nutshell, the adventures of Rudolph, Hermey, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and all the rest are a perfect example of what’s best about our industry. The products we produce and distribute in our day to day work lives are unique in the potential they have to impact and influence not just people…but generations of people, the world over! Think about that for just a second… There really aren’t that many industries that can make that claim. Ours is an industry built on the foundation of making people “feel.” Happiness. Sadness. Love. Feelings that transcend the everyday pressures and challenges that everyone faces. Our industry is responsible for having that effect…not just in our immediate surroundings but on a world-wide basis. If you ask me, that’s pretty incredible.
So back to my point. I think I speak for most of us when I say that it is a gift to get to work in this business. HRTS, our organization, represents the best and brightest of our industry. It is truly an honor and privilege to get to work with the many amazingly creative and passionate individuals and companies represented by our membership. For that, I thank you.
It is with this in mind that I extend to all of you the happiest of holiday wishes… and remind you to occasionally sit back and relish just how lucky we all are to get to do this for a living!
Season’s best from all of us at HRTS…
Dave Ferrara