Remember this guy? That’s character actor Jesse White who, in 1967, was hired to play the iconic role of the loneliest man in the world – a Maytag repairman. It was a part he would continue to play in TV commercials for the next 21 years.

This iconic tv ad campaign was both smart and successful because it spoke to reliability of the Maytag product in a unique and humorous way. In the first aired broadcast, Jesse was introducing new repairmen recruits to some of the tools of his trade – a deck of solitaire cards and a book of crossword puzzles – things needed to pass the time during the interminable wait to be needed. I was reminded of this because yesterday I felt a little like “Ol’ Lonely” (how some referred to the Maytag repairman). For some reason, my phone wasn’t ringing and I only saw one client all day.

But, in actuality, I’m never really lonely… even on slower days. I am constantly surrounded by your memories. I spent much of yesterday with people opening Christmas gifts – one year after another, neatly framed in hour long segments. In the next room, scuba divers were competing for who could take the most dazzling underwater picture of exotic marine life. And all the while the sounds of children singing in school recitals filled the air around me. It is actually impossible to be bored or lonely at Home Video Studio. There’s always something going on that is memorable.

By the way, there were four other actors who have played the iconic role of “Ol Lonely” for Maytag since 1988, most notably among them Gordon Jump, best known for playing Mr. Carlson in WKRP in Cincinnati.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio of Mount Dora specialize in the preservation of family memories. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit www.homevideostudio.com/mtd. I’ll be waiting for you.