Kudos to you, Lifetouch. I had no idea how diversified your
great company was until we got our new puppy.
It’s been a while since I’ve written to you, so first off, I
want you to know I’m still looking forward to spring pictures. It’s the first
day of school here today, and I’m already giddy with anticipation about what we
might get from you after winter break. If I send Son Number One in a pirate
costume with a Sharpie marker “arggh” speech bubble drawn on his cheek, will
you still take his picture? Will you still send me reams and reams of pirate pictures
I didn’t order, along with handy plastic rulers and keychain fobs of the young
buccaneer?
If I send Son Number Two in a stained wife-beater T-shirt, gold
chains, a temporary tattoo of red lips on his neck, and no picture order form
in sight, will you still sit him down on that silly fake rock you have that
looks like a giant cow turd and snap a picture of the little gang banger in a
magical field of daisies?
Time will tell. I hope so!
Also, I just wanted to remind you that we’re breaking up
with you for the fall pictures. It’s just been too many years of Chronic Forced
Smile Disorder, wild uncombed hair, food on the faces, etc. I don’t feel like
you and I need to rehash all the reasons. You know how you are.
The real reason I’m writing you today is to congratulate
you. After all these years of bad school pictures and questionable business
practices (where you send me huge packets of pictures I never ordered or even
authorized and then pretend like my only two options are to pay for them or
send them back to you), I had never realized you were good at anything.
I foolishly just assumed that your only business was taking
pictures of students with noticeable milk mustaches and one side of their shirt
collars sticking up. I never imagined you took good pictures of anyone, or anything. Then, we got a puppy.
Now granted, we’re on day ten of having her in the house,
and I’m going on an average of three and a half minutes of sleep per night, but
I think my judgement was sound in this case. We took our new puppy dog to the
vet on Monday, and there, in the front office, your other line of work was
showcased.
You take portraits of pets! Who knew? Well, I guess maybe
you guys knew, since you do it. Although, based on some of the decisions I’ve
seen you human school portrait folks make, maybe you might not be aware. Go ahead
and ask around. If the pet portrait thing is another division, can you please
let them know they’re doing a good job?
There were big canvas portraits of dogs and cats, all over
the walls in the waiting area. Bigger than life-size, the ten or twelve black
and white photographs showcased the animals perfectly.
I’m not sure if they were the fall or spring pictures from obedience
school, but they were really great. None of their smiles looked forced. None of
their collars had any parts sticking up. Their hair wasn’t messed up, there was
no food stuck to any of their faces, and none of them were covered in chalk or
paint.
Plus, they were all just head shots of the dogs and cats, so
your pet people even figured out how to avoid the embarrassing cow turd chair
problem.
Just an all-around outstanding job by the pet school
portrait division. Again, please tell them good job, and while you’re over
there, you human school portrait guys might want to ask them for some pointers.
Just a thought.
See you soon,
-Smidge
Copyright © 2017 Marc Schmatjen
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