What We Can Learn from Rudolph

"All of the other reindeer...used to laugh and call him names...they wouldn't let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games..."
(eg: shunned due to what was apparently an unacceptably large & very shiny proboscis)...

"Then, one foggy Christmas eve, Santa came to say; 'Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?!'"
Now all the reindeer loved him...shouted in glee...you know the rest

So...let's get this straight...

• shunned & mocked because he had a big, shiny beak (that's it?...all it took was a somewhat robust schnoz?!), 
• behavior that Santa blithely ignored for who knows how long, BTW...

• he then, in a quick reversal, suddenly became all the rage once his "deformity" was determined to be an asset that Santa could use to his advantage...

As children, the moral of this story was:
the underdeer wins out in the end.

Looking at it now with my (quasi) adult's eye, however, I see something better we can take from this holiday classic:

1. folks can be pretty mean about the silliest "differences"
2. don't count on those in a position of authority to do anything about it unless it serves their purpose, but
3. once that "difference" is viewed as something everyone can cash in on, you're golden.

Thus, the new moral of the story is:
Don't suffer through others' lack of appreciation of a "difference" while those in charge sit back and do nothing; take charge, & turn that perceived deficit into an asset.

Don't be a Rudolph, waiting for Santa to figure out just how valuable you really are.

You have been officially alerted.