A few years ago I worked at a company (unnamed to protect the innocent) with a small yet awesome marketing group. After much of discussion and consideration, the marketing team decided to get a pet hamster for the office. A few hours later ‘Elvis’ joined the marketing team complete with all the accessories including a plastic rolling ball. While ‘Elvis’ was technically a ‘she’ we still referred to her as a he. It worked out better that way and I’m sure The King would have appreciated the namesake. While the marketing department was pleased with our new addition the rest of the organization received him with mixed reactions.

I’d like to believe that most folks in the office liked Elvis but in reality more than a few feared hamsters and their rodent brethren. The office reaction seemed mixed. One of our colleagues from another country had never seen a hamster and was so impressed that he purchased one for his daughter, with the plastic ball. Others tried to ignore or avoid him. Elvis seemed to take this challenge in stride as he tried to make friends with everyone.

To make friends as well as stay in tip-top shape Elvis made regular trips through the office in his plastic ball. On more than one occasion we were called down to an office to find that Elvis had cornered someone and they couldn’t get out. While many felt Elvis was taunting them I prefer to believe that he was trying to build bridges. Needless to say his efforts were rarely appreciated or reciprocated and in the end we’d take Elvis back to marketing where he’d rest before his next adventure.

Perhaps the most memorable adventure was one where there was very little reaction from an audience of VIPs. The company was having a ‘summit’ with some of the top executives from some very large companies (names still removed to protect the innocent). Elvis, out on his daily stroll, rolled into the conference room where the executives were having their meeting. Elvis rolled around the conference room, bounced against walls and finally left without a single comment or acknowledgement from the gathered executives. Perhaps they chose to ignore Elvis or maybe it wasn’t out of the ordinary for their organizations to have hamsters bouncing around meetings. As humorous as it was too often we find very talented people ignoring the obvious, especially in the publishing industry.

Elvis would often spend the weekends with the children of some of the employees. He eventually retired from the marketing department for a full time position as a pet.