'' This Part of My Journey''

″Experiences″

My walk down memory, starts and ends with jobs, I’ve held, from the time I left, elementary...''

that’s right, just like my grandparents, I started at an early age, reporting too somebody job......from, yard boy, too paperboy....this dude, has held, down, 8 hour jobs since he was 12 years old.....and you can archive my Stories..., and find this same testimony, throughout my history, and the story, barely changes just worded differently, or accounts left out, unintentionally ...

''there is no shame,''

in my life, of working for some of the worst individuals, who taught me life lessons, in dealing with uneducated business people....who, still refused too get the training they needed for their business too grow, they did things the hard way, ...they thought the easy way, was costly, and ineffective, because hard work was all they knew....and they suffered, and lost out on great opportunities ...but anyway, my first real job, was being a shine boy, for Broadway Barber Shop, didn’t make very much at shinning shoes, but I made of for it from soda machine, since I was in charge of restocking, I kept enough, for my lunch, change...

''well, yeah,''

I stole enough for my lunch,..and now that I think of it, I even sold oatmeal cookies for my Teacher, in elementary, sure did, I kept money,

'' I was like a oatmeal cookie, pusher,''

...each of my jobs coming up, in life left me with a valuable lesson, and some wonderful experiences....I’ve had huge paper routes, I’ve worked on Egg Trucks, Wood and Coal Trucks,and Milk Truck,,Construction, . Sold Clothes and Boots, Security, transported Tee-Shirts for Wrestling Championships, worked volunteer concession stands at Bowman Gray Stadium, volunteer Church media services, took down Fairground rides, caretaker services for this handicap neighbor, ..

''but in essence,''

I wouldn’t change a thing about any of these experiences, what was indebted in me, was the desire, too work, somewhere, anywhere, and that drive along, made me want too challenge, staying on just one job and seeing how I could get that promotion someday....and it happen, I stayed on a a job, almost 35 years, ..

''I was 31 days from having 35 years of service, and they closed the place and transferred operations too Costa Rica ....and the good thing about it all was i was allowed too retire at 52....Truly a Blessing.....imagine being only 52 and able too receive full retirement.''

''God Is Good.''

’Backbone″

I didn’t have too work, construction but one time, too know this aint for me....OMG, I pushed a wheel barrel for 10 hours, and each break I had, was used for, crying too my Saviour, ''

''why has thou, forsaken me''

after lunch, I walked up too the Supervisor and asked could I do, something else, my back kinda, stiff, from the wheel barrel....he said, yeah, ''

''go over their, and stack those red bricks, on a pallet,''

I was relieved , I was more than happy, smiling, singing, as I worked, I heard the Supervisor, say

''you got a nice voice''

well, thank you...then he told, Carl, ''

''bring the pallets for the cinder block bricks.''

...I’m thinking, cinder blocks, you mean, like cinder block......damn, now I'm humming ''go down Moses, way down in Egypt land, tell ole pharaoh, too let my people go''...

Back it the days, of Kroger an Big Bear Grocery Chains....

I always wanted too operate the Big Cash Register that had all the bells an whistles.all the mechanical noises, and the drawer opening at the end, wow, so, cool.....seem, like the perfect job, without the attitudes that some had, this one counter person, she typing with surgical precision, while ringing up your items, and I’m thinking, as I’m looking at this young, girl working these keys and popping chewing gum, nose turned up, like she hate her, job, and us....smdh,.....''girl, you just don’t, know my momma gone, read that tape receipt, like a fine tooth comb''....and if something ain’t right, she’ll be back up here in about 20 minutes.

’Tolley and Pat″

Well known, Entrepreneur’s, operating out of the Business Technology Center , Marshall Street, Pat managed her, Signet Operations, she could print on anything, she could print The Lord’s Prayer on the head of a Bobbie Pin, she customized, pens, pencils, cups, caps, key chains, , whatever, your needed, she would make it happen, and her husband '' Tolley'' operated right across the hall , .......his T-Shirt Business, and Apparel Franchise .. he had recently, landed the Contract for providing Championship shirts, sweaters, caps, for all East Coast Wrestling, Swimming, Basketball Tournaments.

I was brought in by a friend, name John Thompson, too help transport the shirts too the Winner’s, the very first, Event was Greensboro War Memorial Complex, Wrestling Tournament, our job, was too set-up and sell the apparel’s ..while we were making trips back and forth, for the merchandise the crowd spotted us, we were swamped, with people, we could hardly unpack the boxes, they were on us, ready too buy, we never got a chance too set-up our stock variety on the tables, we had too sell out the boxes, just too keep up, and we had too ask other Complex staff too help us out, until Tolley and Pat, could arrive, they finally got there, this was a huge event, however we made it through, 10am, till 8pm, and on this night, right after the tournament.

I volunteered too deliver some shirts too a swimming tournament in Raleigh NC, and headed out, around 9pm, stayed at the Radison right down the street from NC State campus, stacked all the boxes inside the cab of my truck, and bedded down for the night, and the next morning, all I had too do, was drop the shirts off at the YWCA, and keep it moving, paid myself, $1200 dollars, for my services, over the past 24 hours of labor, .....our next, venture was taking shirts too Tallahassee Florida, John and I, had a mason jar of white lightning

″Scawl″.

...we left out 4am that morning, it was pouring down raining, we took, a U-Haul and car trailer, for the car we were driving back , ....we caught hell, trying too load the car on the trailer, the front tires, wouldn’t grip the ramp, constantly spinning, we finally, got it loaded and headed too Salisbury where we picked up our load, and headed too Florida, straight 10 hour drive, listen, I have never been on a spaghetti highway, in my life, when we arrived in Atlanta.

I see, 6 lane highways, and folks driving, like this the Winston 500 Series, passing me like I’m standing still, we arrived in Florida just in time of the tournament, Toilley and Pat were already there, happy too see, us, we dropped the shirts off and John and I headed for some fresh seafood, our work was done, ....we did, this.

''1976,...Schulz Brewery''

Main Street Plant.......My Uncle, Charlie had a cleaning contract with this Company, and he hired me, on the weekend Shift, too clean Break Rooms and Bathrooms, and Eating Areas,..Offices, ...''

I have passed this place over the years, and always wondered what it looked like on the inside, I played basketball, with a few of the guys, that worked here, Junior, Stover, Vernon, Moochie, Stroud, .Boot, Lewis, Teddy,

....we all played against one another in the Adult Morning Basketball League, at different Recreation Center's, Sprague, Miller, Polo, MLK, and now finally, I get too see, this Enterprise .and let me tell ya, it is mind blowing, ...this place, wow, my first night at work, I get a tour by my uncle, about the areas, I’m responsible for, I see, Men, riding these bicycle yes this place is just that, big, ...this place can house, 50 box cars of a Train, under it’s roof..... it has it’s own, Fire Department with a control center, a small Fire Engine, Maintenance personnel look like laboratory scientist, with their white smocks, clean uniforms, the Quality Control area, looks like State of the Art designed.......

''yes, you heard me right,''

this place is awesome, listen, the break rooms, coolers, are fully stocked with every beer they manufacture, the bathrooms are very nice, the floors out in the traffic area, are spotless, these huge stainless steel Beer Vats, are 15 feet high overhead catwalks, and 10 feet in diameter, aluminum catwalks, 15 feet off the ground floor, State of the Art, work stations, the operators, are spaced, distances, from each other, most had these long hooks, too pull defected beer can off the assembly line in the Canning Division, ...other than the operators, sitting back chilling, like they at home, these overhead, bright, lights, are colorful, this place is not very loud as you would think, most of the Bulk, holding tanks, looked polished, and brand new, ...this was really exciting, now it’s time for me too get busy in doing what, My Uncle, brought me here for.....by keeping this place looking presentable, and impressionable...This Place was a Small Town...only thing missing was a Barber Shop.

''Fore''

Tribute too ″Carl McClanney, Floyd Greene, Eddie Hines, aka ″Rev″.....

’Fore″

Telling My Homie, how I got started in Golf, at the age of 45 maybe, never had any experience in playing this game, I've heard so, much about, .....went too the pawn shop, bought some clubs that just happen too be, marketed as Great Clubs, a set of Muzuno’s,....played with them, 2 years and moved up too Callaway Hawkeyes, Gold, .... I actually, practiced at the Driving Range over a year before even setting foot on a course, Guy’s ratted me, because they said,

''you can’t learn Golf at the driving, Range''

actually, you can, Golf Pro’s work at Driving ranges....but, anyway, ''

I, decided, when and where, an the time, I, felt ready,..... not someone else, decision, and too cut, my cost,''

I, took on a Job, as, Course Ranger, at Reynolds Park, and worked, with ret. Police Chief, Barry Roundtree, Floyd Greene,R.I.P. Eddie Hines, R.I.P. Police Officer Carl McClanney, R.I.P. Deacon James Barr, we were all, on the rotation of Rangers’....so, we, could play, ''

Reynolds Park, and Winston Lake for free''

worked only 16 hours a week,....doing absolutely nothing except, keeping the slower groups going, on the course, and allowing faster player’s too play through...we worked Tournament’s met some Professional, Golfer’s in the PGA and Senior Tour, met, Rocco Mediate, Mark O’ Meara, Jim Dent, some other’s....David Toms, .Golf is a Great game, and it’s only fun, if you know what you’re, doing, an understand the concept,.... and being able too repeat, a good shot over an over, or being a good, recovery player, because all Golfer’s, Pro’s, an Amateur, or Social, hit bad an terrible shot’s, how you recovery makes all the difference, in scoring, a Birdie, a par, a bogey a double bogey or

''a pick the damn ball up, and come on''

...seriously, ...the game is designed, for those who, can take an ass, whupping, and keep going,....the course has no feelings, and Winston Lake, will make a grown man, Cry,......narrow fairways, long par fours, monster par fives,.. and tricky, lay up par fours....Eddie, Carl, Floyd,......yeah, Chuck, down here talking bout, the Fun we Had......Rest In Heaven″...Salute..