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What a hard year for retail. I have worked in the retail industry since the age of seventeen. It has always been said: “Retail, either you love it or hate it.” I love it. Dealing with the public sometimes is a bit difficult and always challenging. Patience is needed, as well as the ability to roll with the punches. Add to that the budgets, sales goals, staffing, plus the daily duties of running a business, it can be stressful. But when you are successful, the reward is very fulfilling. What I enjoy most are my regular customers; listening to their stories and just spending a moment of my day chatting while I help them find the item they desire. I also love stock day! It is a bit like Christmas; opening the boxes and discovering the newest items you have to sell. It is work, but … like I said, “I love retail.” I admit that I am an enthusiast when it comes to my job. Throughout my career I have traveled to open new stores, to supervise inventories, to train new managers, and have worked in troubled stores until they are back on track. But I chose to stay in Vincennes, in one store, to raise my children and spend time with my family. This was a choice I have never regretted. When I speak to new managers at a meeting, I tell them how I loved playing store when I was a young girl and how I grew up to play store for real. I share my experiences with them. I encourage them to push themselves to achieve the goals set for their stores; if they do they will find a satisfaction that words cannot express. With that will come (hopefully) a lifetime of enjoyment in working in retail. I always hear our leaders saying “we want good jobs to come to our community.” Retail jobs are good jobs. We have a lot of good people working in the retail industry right here. Maybe our leaders haven’t noticed that these same people have bought homes, cars, shopped local businesses, supported their families, given to the charities, churches and paid taxes. They help support our community. They do this with the income they make working in the retail industry. This past year has been especially hard for many in our industry. Whether they sold food or clothing, many companies have had to close their doors -- a fate I pray won’t come my way. But it is retail and I am a realist. It is an up and down industry whose lifeblood depends on the economy. Hopefully, the economy will improve. Hopefully, in 2009, we’ll get Ford Road built sooner than later. And hopefully, interested developers will bring more retail jobs to our community. Knox County has a lot to offer. Let’s keep our dollars here, and support the retailers who are our neighbors. Let’s shop local. |
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Retail is a business that matters |
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Another birthday is coming my way. Whew! The old saying time flies is so true, and I was reminded of it today. I arrived home from work, tired and hungry as usual. First thing I did was kick off my shoes. Then I headed to the bedroom for something more comfortable to wear before hitting the kitchen for a late afternoon snack. Contrary to the movies my something “more comfortable” consists of a pair of baggy flannel or knit PJ pants, a tank top and my old, faithful, knit, cover-up top. It is a button-up, cream, long-sleeve, soft, poly-cotton-knit shirt. When I say old faithful, I am not exaggerating. I bought this shirt in the mid 1980’s and I still wear it. It has been washed every week since, making it soft and beyond comfortable. I wear it year round. It’s warm in the winter and the same in the summer when the air conditioner puts a chill in the air. It is an old shirt that I happen to love . . well . . . as much as one could love a shirt. And Bernie, after all these years of seeing me in my comfy shirt, he just smiles. I have “good clothes” that I wear, but when it’s just family and a few close friends, I’ll be sporting my favorite shirt, an old, cream, button-up, knit top from the 80’s. My family never says a word when I put on my old faithful shirt, and I’m not sure why. Perhaps because I have many things that I have grown accustomed to and held on to over the years. I like the old things, things with a good memory. My home is dotted with things from the past, things from family, things Bernie and I have collected over the years. They are the things that I believe make our home a home. As the years have gone by, though, I find myself wondering why our stuff is wearing out. Our coffee pot just last week started to, well, speak out against its misery. One morning it began hissing and spitting, groaning near human-like sighs. Bernie cleaned it once again, but it continued to hiss, spit, and groan. The noises were loud and weird. That’s when we decided it may be on its last leg. After some discussion we concluded that the coffee maker had been in our home for well over ten years. We were a bit surprised it had been so long. Time had passed very fast, at least where the coffee pot is concerned. The same thing happened when my vacuum decided not to pick up anything anymore. Again to my shock, another 15 or more years had passed. How could I have not noticed? I recall my parents and grandparents talking about the same sort of thing when something they had in their home went on the blink. When we discussed how long they’d had the item their reply was, “has it been that long?” Now it’s me saying “has it been that long?” This was my wake up call. Time really does fly. Of course, as frugal as I am, I will expect everything to last forever. I’ve been driving the same vehicle for the past 16 years. Whoa! It is true. Time has a habit of getting away from me and yet another upcoming birthday reminds me of it once again. I guess one could say I am “set in my ways.” Who would have thought that would be me? Now it’s my children and grandchildren reminding me that some of my things, like me, are getting older. Over the years my life has been up and down, high and low, good and bad, happy and sad, but always fulfilling. If I am blessed to live as long as my parents and grandparents, I may be around another 30 years or so. Perhaps still driving my old SUV and still wondering why things don’t last forever, and most likely wearing my old, comfortable, shirt.
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‘Old faithful’ |
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As the season begins to end and the autumn air slips slowly into the valley, I can honestly say that I had an enjoyable summer. Our kids, who of course are adults now, treated Bernie and I to a vacation to Disney World, the first in several years. We had a “magical time” as they say at Disney, a good family vacation. On our way back we decided to spend some time on the Gulf, taking in the sunsets, the warm waters and sandy beaches. It was nice to return to the Gulf coast again. It was good to see it had almost fully healed from the hurricanes of a few years ago. I grew up on the Gulf coast, and it is always a special time for me return to see it again and spend a moment of time there breathing in its beauty. We had boarded our dog Ellie while we were gone, along with my grand puppies Elphaba and Otis. Ellie, a Westie, will be 12 this fall. Elphaba a cocker spaniel -basset mix, is going on two, and Otis is a “big” German shepherd puppy. When we returned the dogs were glad to see us. I guess it was a long couple weeks for them. After a romp around our backyard the dogs settled down and were happy to have all of us home. My days off this summer, although too few, were also spent with my granddaughters ages 7 and 10 (now that they’ve celebrated their birthdays this August and September). Of course my grandpups came over to spend time playing out back, a special time I love. The girls also love playing with the three dogs, giving them all treats, and a healthy dose of what we like to call “puppy hugs.” Otis lives with my daughter and her family on a street too busy for him to run loose. Elphaba lives with my son and his partner in an apartment in Evansville where she must be kept on a leash. So it is truly a treat for the dogs to come to grandma’s to play and run freely. Ellie tolerates their nips, and every once in a while will take a romp around the yard with them. She then retreats to the deck to watch over the two younger dogs and the girls while they play. These lazy summer days are my favorite, and they are so special to me because it gives me a chance to let go of the work week stress and just, well, play and have a good time with family. Late in July my mother-in-law moved back to Indiana from Jamestown, New York, after 30 years there. She had retired and wanted to move to Princeton, near the home where she grew up. Having lost my own mom, it is great to have her here. Before she moved she decided to give some of her furniture to a young couple from her church in New York. I think she wanted to buy a bit of new furniture to go with her new life she’s starting here in Indiana. She asked me where she should shop. Of course I like to shop Knox County, so we decided to shop for her new living room furniture and accessories in Vincennes. My bother-in-law, Joe, came from New York to help mom move and stayed a few days before returning home. He is planning on moving to Indiana this fall. He and Bernie also went furniture shopping with us. When Bernie and I were first married, my dad and my Uncle Paul used to tell Bernie the secret to a long and happy marriage is to just sit and “let the women go.” I remember daddy and my Uncle Paul moving from bench to bench while my mom and Aunt Doris shopped the sale racks in the stores of the mall. They must have known what they were talking about because they both had long and happy marriages. While Bernie’s Mom and I were shopping, Joe got a bit impatient and I overheard Bernie telling his younger brother to “just let them go.” They just moved from couch to couch, waiting patiently while we women made up our minds. It made me smile. When mom’s furniture arrived, I went to Princeton to spend some time helping her to unpack and decorate her home. She likes a lot of the things I like, so we really had a few fun days. I am looking forward to spending more time with her. It is good to have her home. There are times in my life when I wish I had a bit more time to spend with my family. Like most folks, I work a lot of hours and my days off are few, but this summer those few days have been very special to me. I am looking forward to the fall and coming winter. My brother-in-law, “Chef” Richard, is coming home for a visit from Charlestown, South Carolina, to visit mom and to teach me “cooking secrets.” And who knows, he may decide to stay, too. And there’s our newest grandpup, “Otis,” who has never played in the snow. It should be a good time for all.
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In the good ol’ summertime |
