The "Mr. nnnnnnnnnn" Story

Cover of the Middle School yearbook.  This cover
was designed by two students using the theme of
"Friends" for guidance.  Their art teacher coordinated
the project.

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with Al.  Al is a sales rep for Josten's Yearbook Company and handles the accounts for the the Manheim Township Middle School and the Landis Run Intermediate School, both in the Manheim Township School District in Lancaster County, PA.  I have worked with Al for close to 20 years now as the advisor to the previously listed middle and intermediate schools.  Was talking to him about how well the two books turned out this year and about a few problems that I encountered.  Al immediately said, "You have to remember that there has never been a perfect yearbook produced.  Always something misspelled or a photo too dark or someone's name missing."  I guess I should know after being a yearbook adviser for 45 years that he is right.  

Cover of the Intermediate School yearbook.
Designed by a boy in 5th grade who worked
with his art teacher and the theme "Raptors"
which is their school mascot.

Always seems to be something wrong or some mistake made every year.  And ....... this year is no different.  Now the Middle School book seems to be free of mistakes, as of now, but I still had to call a mother to try to explain to her that the school yearbook is not responsible for publishing photos of local Parks and Recreation sports teams.  I think she understood by the time we hung up.  But, the intermediate book had one glaring error that was definitely my mistake.  While laying out the book I placed the administration, faculty and staff pages in the center of the 68 page hard-cover book.  I took photos of the cooks, security staff, guidance staff, secretaries, administration staff, librarians, maintenance and custodians.  All these photos cover two pages with two other pages devoted to the faculty.  Well, when I did the page that featured the two custodians, I place their photos in the bottom right of the page.  I then placed their names under the photos.  Only problem was that at the time I did not know the name of the one custodian who was new to the school district this past fall.  

This is the bottom right of page 31 in the Intermediate School
Yearbook.  As you can see they have a custodian named nnnnnnnnnn.

So after typing the one name I typed nnnnnnnnnn as the name of the other custodian, figuring that when I found his name I would know where to place it in the book.  I guess by now you know what happened.  Yep, I forgot to change it and his name in the book reads: nnnnnnnnnn.  Naturally someone found the mistake and pointed it out to me before the books were distributed.  Too late to do anything about it though so I walked down the hall and entered the office of the two custodians.  There sat Dave, who by now I have gotten to know.  I said, "Dave, I thought I should apologize in advance for the mistake I made under your photo in the yearbook."  He look puzzled, so I continued on ...... "At the time I laid out the book I didn't know your name so I just typed in a few letters, thinking I'd put your name in after I found who you were.  Well, I forgot to do it and your name now is nnnnnnnnnn."  He smiled and said "Don't worry about it.  I don't care."  Nice of him to say that, but I did feel bad.  I then told him, "I'm going to have them make you a new security name tag that reads: Mr. nnnnnnnnnn.  Al was right, there are no perfect yearbooks and I am helping to keep his statement intact.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.