 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Losses Everyone talked about what was going on in their personal lives and people offered to switch shifts when they could to help with a birthday party or doctors appointment. If someone was getting tired because they happened to get all the busy shifts, another person would offer to trade out a shift to give the person a break. Little things were done to encourage you and everyone was made to feel included. It wasn't the perfect set-up (nothing ever is) but it was one of the most comfortable places I had ever worked. They made it as easy to do my job as the situation allowed, there was always feedback on how I was doing and communication about all the little things that happen in the day to day running of the store was prolific. Guidelines and pet peeves were plainly established up front and as long as you cared about the store and your place in it everything worked well. Everyone got to enjoy in a job well done and a business that was running smoothly. Personal work ethics were appreciated and rewarded, even if it was only by saying "Good job!" You were drawn into the family and made a part of it almost forcefully, but in a loving and caring way. If you worked there, you WERE family. The fondest memories I have of those times were The Boss Lady's Husband walking in the front door kind of singing, "bom bom bom" or some such meaningless sounds. You always knew when he had arrived. It was like his verbal door chime letting everyone know he was there without having to interrupt whatever was going on when he came in. I also enjoyed him sitting out front of the store talking to the customers that came and went(which were also part of the store's family) and drinking a beer from a cup. (Did I mention that I live in a REALLY small Goddess forsaken town in the middle of the hillbilly/redneck part of the country?) Then The Boss Lady would drive up and go "Husband," and take the cup away from him, make the rounds in the store and go home to take care of the grandson. After which, The Boss Lady's Husband would go get another beer (Bud Light), pour it into the now washed cup and go back out to talk to the neighborhood people. Those two had been together for ten years, but from the outside looking in, it looked like they had been together for their whole lives. All those little things that old-time couples do together without even thinking about it. Some little quirk that brought a grin to your face because you had seen it before and knew precisely what was going to happen. Anyone who had seen them together knew that one of them was going to give the other a quick peck of affection before they left the store, that before The Boss Lady had even finished talking about a problem The Husband would be over there trying to fix it, and when she had made up her mind about something it would be The Husband that either got it done or made sure it happened. I don't want to make it sound like The Husband was hen-pecked by any means. He was a very strong person who just happened to be very compassionate and a workahlic to boot. What would seem to be compliance to someone who had never seen these two together before, in all actuallity was just his love for her and a hard working nature. He was quick to blow up but just as quick to give you a hug and apologize for being an asshole. He had a ready smile and wasn't afraid to parade it about town. When he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer a lot of things changed, but some of those little things stayed the same. We'd still hear the "bom bom bom" but it was when we walked into the room where they had set up his hospital bed. He'd still manage to get a beer poured into a cup and The Boss Lady would still come into the room saying, "Husband," and take it away from him. You'd still see the quick peck of affection before she left the room and even when he couldn't manage to speak, a smile would slip onto his face when someone came into sit with him. When The Husband finaly passed away I think a little of the vision I had of a couple falling in love and staying together happily died. Not because he had passed away, but because The Boss Lady as I knew her died. After his passing I realized she was never the person that she had showed to the world and I'm not sure she was ever with him because she loved him. The peron The Boss Lady revealed herself to truely be after his passing put a whole new perspective on how I viewed their relationship. I'm not saying that their relationship had not been a happy one or that the whole till-death-do-you-part thing wasn't the real deal. I just think maybe it was one-sided. The Husband had the fairy tale and The Boss Lady had her business arraingement. I'm glad, he at least, got to live that particular dream. For him, that true love story was lived out in real life and real time. Looking back, I think he knew. He just didn't care. He loved her and he was happy. For that I'm glad that she was there for him. He deserved that fairy tale. I was bitter for the losses during this past year or so. Not so much for the obvious loss of a wonderful father figure and great person, but also the loss of someone that I thought was a mother figure, a friend and a compassionate person. I lost two good people when The Husband passed away.
Most recent entries Something New - 2009-06-04 Lunch for Breakfast - 2009-05-18 Jeans and a T-shirt - 2009-05-13 Lost Weeks - 2009-05-11 Happy Birthday to Me! - 2009-04-22 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rings
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||