Shoe buisness

I had about much fun as I could stand running the departments at the discount store. They worked me 80 plus hours and paid my for everything over 40 hours "off the clock" they pain me in merchandise and that was no time and a half and no store discount. So one day I had enough of the fun and games and walked out.

My next job was in a basement discount shoe department of a large grand old department store. I am talking about the kind that was a city block long seven stories high. The old downtown anchor stores that housed all the accounting, buying, and all the other offices on the top floor and the rest of the store were the retail operations.It had the grand old elevator with an elevator operator. All transactions were sent through vacuum tubes to the central cashier. It had everything, beauty salons, pet store, toy department. two restaurants a shoe repair and everything else a department store would have. If you ever saw the British comedy "Are You Being Served" you'll have an idea of what kind of store it was. 

I started in the discount basement shoe dept. We fitted shoes back then. I measured feet and sat on the stool when we put the shoes on the customer's feet.We had every size imaginable. Back then shoes were mostly for function above style.  The wall of shoe boxes had a ladder we would climb and a stick for grabbing lower boxes that were just above reach. 

It was old school shoe business. We even fitted the old " baby shoes" the kind that started oy with soft soles and got more rigid. That was the thinking back then. We even fitted orthopedic shoes. It was a great training ground.

My story part 2 Retail

What came next shaped the next 15 years of my life. I landed a part time job at a local discount store to earn some money to supplement my DJ job. Well as it turns out they gave me more of an immediate opportunity to grow into a department manager. Since I really had no idea what I wanted to be any way it looked like a great opportunity.

So I began my career at 19 running sorting goods, hardware and automotive departments. It was my first headlong dive into managing people, doing inventory, stocking and shelving and waiting on customers. The first real taste of retail wows was a real eye opener. We sold guns and rifles in the sporting goods department. One of my "genius" employees sold a pistol to a guy who shot someone. There was a waiting period back in that day and during the time we were waiting for the background check to come through so that we could give the customer his gun the box and the gun  somehow got switched. We only noticed this after the crime was committed and the police couldn't rightly identify the serial number. Needless to say the stuff hit the fan. On another occasion a guy had bought paint from us and was painting his house. Well he didn't buy enough so when he returned to our store to buy more we were sold out. Since we were a discount store the paint was closeout so we couldn't get any more. The guys was all hot and sweaty and he did not want to here that. He threaded to kill me if I couldn't get hem more paint (which I could not). So here come the same police who were still pissed off about the gun incident.

Retail, low pay long hours and not a prestige job. But at least it wasn't a dull job driving a train.

My story Pt. 1

I grew up in a small central Pennsylvania town. It was most built as a railroad town. Railroad manufacturing and research where for the most part the main industry. My grandfathers on both sides of my family worked for the railroad. My father and his father were engineers. Yes like Arlo Guthrie sang about we rode our fathers magic carpets made of steel. There were a few other employers the mills and small factories. The coal mines away from up in the hills. Some small farms were around but mostly the bulk of the economy was as I stated the railroad industry.

I could never see myself following in my dad's footsteps. Railroad engineers spent long hours on the trains. I almost never saw my dad to the long odd hours he worked, he was either at work or sleeping. It was a life I wanted no part of. The real deal breaker for me was although he made decent money the way the unions worked is that seniority ruled. So no matter what you did you could never get anywhere as long as someone who hired on before you was still there. What disincentive!

I was on the high school wrestling team and I loved wrestling because for one thing it was an individual sort and you earned your victories by beating someone one on one. After I graduated I couldn't find that competition and satisfaction in the mills and the mines. So I tried to be a DJ but I just lost focus on that, beside radio didn't pay well and my dad was against the thought of working for the experience. It wasn't his mentality. Since I lived under his roof and had no money my options were limited.

That's when I stumbled into my first career, retail.

(to be continued.)

Letting go of the past.

I used to carry a lot of past hurts, snubs, failures and lots of other things around with me like two fully loaded suitcases, one in each hand. Until one day I realized that they were an encumbrance on my journey. You can move very fast carrying that baggage, and besides there is little in those suitcases that I really need except the experience. I took the learning experience and let go of the baggage. Now I neatly fold the experience into my ne backpack and  I journey freely forward.

Thank you Lord Jesus you are an awesome Chain Breaker

Every day habit.

I am trying to get in the habit of doing one thing every day that either scares or stretches me. Today I took the train to downtown Dallas. Just to experience what it's like. I rather enjoyed the outing.

Verse for Christianity 101

I sincerely believe every Christian should commit to memory Colossians 3, the whole chapter. It capsulizes the essentials for day to day living, in a practical way.

Read it here.

Trying to cope with the voices in my head.

I have been aware of "self talk' since the mid 80's when I read two great books on the subject.by Shad Helmstetter. They are the Self Talk Solution and What To Say When You Talk To Your Self.

I must confess now is the time for a re-reading of those books. Now that I am working out on my own my own internal dialog seems much more pronounced or maybe its just that I am more aware of it. What those voices in our head are saying really must be brought under control and be managed, as opposed to allowing them to randomly roam free and dictate ones attitude, mood and thinking.

Another day anouther dollar.

Working at putting together a business venture that has sever moving parts. My biggest challenge is too stay focused and budget my time wisely. I am catching myself chasing too many rabbits down too many rabbit holes.

We are and what we do.

One week into my semi-retirement. I am building my next big thing phase and I am still getting over the fact that who I am and my job title always defined me. That was why I think we need to change our way of looking at our selves. Jesus didn't call himself a carpenter ever as I recall.