The bird pen craft made by Herkamer's wife Gertrude has caused him to be the ridicule target of Herkamer's office. The story left off with Dana, a co-worker of Herkamer, receiving a call from Gertrude to ask for her review of her latest craft.
“Oh yes, Gertrude,” Dana responded, “Everyone in the office has seen it. Take a picture? Sure, hold on a moment...” Dana reached in her Louis Vuitton handbag to retrieve her smart phone. Dana was always fashionable and loved to put down others who couldn't function as she could. “Hold it up now,” Dana said in a very condescending tone, “No, rather, hold it like a baby, and let me send this picture to Gertrude.” Herkamer complied because he knew the drill - if he didn't comply all day long Dana would haunt him with the idea of taking a picture. Dana took the photo as the entire room roared with more laughter and “Bird Pen Jokes” until Herkamer could stand it no more. “Stop it!” he yelled. “Stop it now! I will not have you laughing at my wife in that manner! It's one thing to yell at me and quite another when it comes to making fun of my wife!”
The room grew silent, and Dana started to make an apology, but knew that this was not the appropriate time. She slide back in her desk, very carefully texted the picture to Gertrude, and went back to her work. Herkamer knew that he had quieted the room, so he relieved them by saying much more softly. “I know it's ugly, and it probably could have been made by a three year old, but it wasn't. It was made by my wife, and one of the agreements we made a long time ago was that we would not tolerate putting each other down in public. We saw so many couples end in divorce because they ridiculed each other in public, and we made a pact to never be a part of that behavior. So, I just cannot allow it here. Thank you for your understanding in this, and now I think I will go home to change my shirt.”
The co-workers were stunned. They had never seen Herkamer so bold. They watched as he walked out the door with the bird pen still in his pocket, get in his car and drive away. Herkamer made a stand that day, and the impression had a great impact as each co-worker called his or her spouse to apologize for their behavior in the past few days.
Herkamer drove home, pulled in the driveway, walked in the front door, and placed the bird pen in a piece of ceramic that was protruding from their favorite framed collage. Gertrude came to meet him, realized his reason for coming home when she saw his shirt, kissed him, and said “Thank you. I just needed to know that you still love me for me, even if I give you a weird little craft.” Herkamer blushed, and said, “I do.”
Stay tuned for more Herkamer and Gertrude stories. Same blog time. Same blog spot. Until tomorrow...Why Say More?
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