Bronner's Giant Santa Clause - photography by Jennifer laura
"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth." Psalm 98:4
Good Tuesday to you! This weeks column has been dedicated to a hero of the faith, Wally Bronner. Each article is going to focus on a different aspect of his life and ministry. Yesterday's focus was on the faith of Wally Bronner. http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-20894-Detroit-Methodist-Examiner~y2009m10d19-The-Faith-of-Wally-Bronner Today's column will focus on the fun of Wally Bronner. In the next two days we will focus on the family and friends of Mr. Bronner, which will be accompanied by several photos of the hard working and fun loving staff of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland. So, for now, let's have some fun with Wally Bronner.
Santa's Workshop - Elves making toys - photography by Jennifer Laura
In the past 20 years, there has been a visible shift in the thought of what it means to retire. As many question the ability to simply pay bills and keep afloat, the idea of no longer working seems to be an impossible task. And so it is for many that retirement is an opportunity to do a job that they actually enjoy doing. Many people find a way to convert a hobby into a full time income, and wish they had done it years earlier. What makes the life of Wally Bronner so incredible is the fact the he never really retired. In truth, he did from the beginning what many wait until the later years of their lives to accomplish. He lived out his hobby in faith and faithfulness and God provided. On page 166 of his book, "Sharing Joy 365" Wally had this to say: "Retirement is for people who go to work. I started with a hobby 55 years ago, enjoyed it, and never went to work. Who would want to retire from a hobby? I'll stay with my hobby, but only on days that end with 'y'". This statement was made regarding the transfer of leadership in 1998 to the next generation of the Bronner family. There will be more detail on these incredible people and their roles tomorrow. For many of us, fun begins when work ends. For Wally, there was no such division. Fun and work seemed to occur simultaneously which made working fun! Compare this to the view of people doing everything they can to hang on to a job they do not even like and it seems to be night and day. Could it be that Jeremiah 29:11 was woven into this wonderful equation? "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." It seems that such amazing ventures in life are just as much a matter of faithful surrendering as they are hard work and innovation. If all good things come from God alone, then it can be said that we must go to Him to find out what they are. And, when we find them, the accompanying joy is immeasurable!
Lori Libka - communications assistant - photography by Jennifer Laura
The joy that Wally held seems to spread to every aspect of what is now Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland. Through yesterday's article, it was established that the basis for this incredible place is faith. Add to that the visions that will bring a smile to everyone's face. There is a giant Santa Clause waiting to greet you on the sidewalk. (see photo at the top. I am standing next to it, and I stand at 6'1" tall. You can imagine how immense this statue is!) From there, you will see an elf-cottage in the lobby when you enter. As you go through the store, you can find Santa's workshop(see pics above and below) which is alive with elves working and busily preparing for CHRISTmas! There was also a giant Santa climbing down a rope from the ceiling. I did my best to help him out. (see slide show). For many, these sights are the familliar expressions of joy that are so easy to find at Bronner's. What you may not know as that these things are just the beginning of the fun! As mentioned before, communications assistant, Lori Libka(see above), took quite a bit of time with us in order to help with these articles. For more than an hour, she was gracious enough to answer questions and share her own experiences. It was through this that the real fun of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland came to light. She shared some of the things that many people would not know. First, because of the long hallways "behind the scenes", there are a few vintage bikes that employees are free to ride to get from point a to point b. Wally's bike, of course, had a bell on it! When asked what her favorite fun memory of Wally was, this is what she shared. Each year, if Halloween falls on a weekday, the entire staff will dress up and do a parade through the store. One year, someone in a draped costume got in line and joined in the fun. It was several minutes before Lori realized that it was Wally himself! His dedication to making the staff enjoy what they did is truly humbling. She also shared that there are caroling sing-a-longs in the conference center on the 23rd and 24th of December. Irene Bronner would play pump organ while Wally Bronner, himself, led these up until his passing. Now, Irene still plays the organ while Son-in-law Bob Spletzer leads the songs. Bronner's is more than a store, Lori stated,it is a place to come and celebrate Christmas and the Christian faith. At this point, Lori offered a behind-the-scenes look at the people working. This was an opportunity that simply could not be turned down. This is where the heart of Bronner's is at.
Santa's workshop - floating duck - photography by Jennifer Laura
The minute that we went through the office and into the work area, there was an indescribeable presence of joy. The first two people we met were Dick and Deb. They were hard at work on in the shop making sure that everything that the customers get to see looks great! You can see Dick dilligently working on shelving. He was gracious enough to let Jen shoot some pictures. Deb was working on a display with pumpkins that would be placed at the West entrance of the building. (see below) What was most amazing is that the smiles they had were there before the pictures were taken! They took pride in what they did, and filled this little room with much more than displays and carpentry. The joy that filled the room was contagious, and it is impossible not to smile when remembering it.
A skilled cratsman named Dick - photography by Jennifer Laura
Deb the display maker - photography by Jennifer Laura
The very next stop, however, was truly incredible. There was a group of ladies making quite a bit of racket that could only be described as "laughter". However, this was not the break room. This was where they decorate the more than 360 trees that are on display in the showroom. One of the current projects was a beautiful fall tree that was covered in "leaf light covers" among other colorful additions. You can see from the pictures that the quality of the work is second to none. However, you would never guess that people working so hard could be having so much fun.
Decorating a Fall Christmas Tree - photography by Jennifer Laura
Decorating a peppermint tree - photography by Jennifer Laura
We were then able to meet Brian Goff , one of the commercial salesmen for Bronner's. He was standing near the office of Craig Fick, head of commercial sales, whose office is covered in movie posters because of the numerous films that have used props from the store. It was only natural to ask how hard Brian works to make sure the customers are satisfied. The answer can be found in a camel that was tied to his parents' motorhome! This piece of a life-sized nativity needed the paint to be touched up, and so it was Brian himself that drove down to Minster, Ohio to pick it up(see below). The fun could be seen all around as people could not help but stare at this rare sight! The only negative part in all of this was Brian's fear for the safety of those trying to drive and take pictures with their cell phones!
Brian Goff - photography by Jennifer Laura
Camel on the go!
Right next door to Brian was the Catalog Sales department. Jen could not resist taking pictures of the office mascot(below), who apparently adorns different costumes throughout the year. The ladies in this department were thriving in the philosophy set forth by Wally. It's not work, it's having fun for a living! This theme carried over to each department. Every worker asked was gracious to pose for a photograph. (Everyone photographed will be featured, so don't worry! There are still three days left this week!)
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Snoopy the office mascot - photography by Jennifer Laura
The tree decorating crew and the display crew were my personal favorite. I will be submitting a resume promptly. Jen's dream job, however, was down the hall a bit. Her "dream team" works in the ornament painting department. It was here that we met, among others, Max Misekow. Max's amazing creativity and professionalism was matched only by his skill and ability to enjoy his work. To understand the scope of their work, Lori told me that a woman named Linda retired after 35 years in that department. It was estimated that she painted over 500,000 ornaments in her time there. That is a whole lot of work, and it is a good thing that Wally paved the way to make it fun!
Max Misekow hard at work - photography by Jennifer Laura
The final image that I am going to leave you with is one that inspires both joy and sorrow. As we made our way through the main office, we saw one final tribute to the man behind the magic. There, hanging by itself, is the red jacket that is immediately recognizeable for those who have seen Wally, or even just his picture. The "Wally" nametag and his famous tie still hang on the front. The staff lovingly keeps this jacket in its place as a reminder of the life and joy of their beloved boss. It hangs as a silent tribute to one who inspired so much laughter. Lori let me know that it had been removed at first after Wally had passed. Immediately its presence was missed and so it was put back on the rack. It is my own opinion that the Smithsonian should be preparing a place for its final destination. However, in the meantime, it is well appreciated where it stands. Thanks, Wally, for showing all of us the fun that is hidden around every corner. We would all do well to follow your example in making a joyful noise to the Lord with our lives.
Wally's jacket and tie - photography by Jennifer Laura
And so there it is, the fun of Wally Bronner. Please tune in again tomorrow as we enjoy the life and legacy of this great Christian man. We will again share together in this gift called life. Until then, God bless and keep reading.
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