Crash!

A 90 foot tree fell into my yard from the neighbors.

I called fence companies for repair of my crushed fence (which surrounds my swimming pool, which  is also 39 years old).

That got me to thinking about when I sold fence for Reliable Fence (1969 - 1975). If I didn’t land that interview, I probably would be working at 7 /11 today.

They paid $75 dollars a week with a 3% sales commission, and in a year you got a company car. They also paid full health benefits, and all you had to do was work 10-12 hours a day for six days.

They requested that I shave off my mustache and get rid of the hippie eyeglasses (and change back to  plastic ones). We wore sport coats and neck ties for the appointments. When we were busy, we had 12-15 appointments per day. I think we got a one-week paid vacation. On my first sale, I made $55 and I was on my way! Thank God for sales.

I called a local fence guy with the name of Wendell for a quote. His name reminded me of a really good installer that Reliable got from Walpole Woodworkers. I tried for a day to recall his name. The following day, without thinking about it, his name came to me: Winslow Keyes.

Then two more names that I haven’t said or thought of in 45 years came to me. Frank Catrone, who before he built fences, sold Cadillacs. Then Dale Esker came into my brain. A crackerjack installer from the Plympton area. And my family says that I am slipping!

As I look through my e-mail list, I find only one person who knows what the hell and who the hell I am talking about. Interesting.

The comedian Steven Wright said, “I like to reminisce with people I don’t know."