Two old guys sitting on a sofa

 

Me and Otto sit together on the sofa, two old guys quietly passing the day.

I read most of the time. Spend some time writing a few short essays, and break now and again to complete a task in the kitchen or somewhere else in the house.

Otto spends his day sleeping, but lifts his head now and again to look at me. He seems to give a slight smile, reassured, I think, to know I am still in my place on the sofa. He enjoys a refreshing drink of water, shares a meal with me, and together we walk the neighborhood at various times during the day. 

Otto is an amiable and patient companion. He listens to my comments and observations about neighbors and items in the news. He never objects to the radio programs I choose to listen to or the volume levels I select. He shows a bit of concern if I leave the house, but he always welcomes my return.

Neither of us receive phone calls. I get some mail and some emails, but Otto doesn't receive either. My daughter will send me a text at night, and regularly visits. But it is an honest assessment to say that Otto and I are two old guys that are largely forgotten by the outside world. 

That's neither a complaint nor a point of distress. We are not isolated. We are not completely alone, and we enjoy the benefits of our solitude. It is an acknowledgement that we, me more than he, have reached that point in life when we are called upon less, contribute less and noticed less. It's a point we all reach, and one we can either make peace with or not. 

Otto and I made peace with that fact long ago. 

- Thank you for reading. Your comments and questions are always welcome.

That time I entered Elms Liquorland and asked for a job

 

It was 45 years ago this month that I started what was to become the best part-time job of my life.

I walked into Elms Liquorland July 3, 1978. The store was located at 510 W. Northwest Highway in Arlington Heights. I met Tom Barkulis, the son of the store's owner, Nick. I introduced myself and explained that Mike, a high school friend and the store's only stock clerk, told me Tom was looking to hire additional help. 

I completed an application, and Tom asked me a few questions about the number of hours I was interested in working and the kind of previous experience I had. Satisfied with the answers I gave, he offered me a job and asked if I could start the next day. I said I could. I did, and I continued working with Tom for the next several years. 

It's interesting how we never know how important a simple decision will be to us at the time that we make it, but accepting that job proved to be one of the most important decisions of my life, one that shaped the man I was to become, the man I am today.

I had completed my junior year in high school at the time I accepted the job and was awaiting the start of my senior year. My junior year was a good one for me academically, and I had competed well on my school's track team. I was optimistic about my senior year.

I had performed well at two previous part-time jobs, and was confident in my ability to perform my duties at the liquor store. I was blessed to work with a good group of adults there. They were friends with the owners. The owners had recently expanded from a neighboring property. It now occupied a 100,000-square-foot space (large for that time and town) and the business was thriving.

My friend, Mike, and I stocked shelves, cleaned the store and took out the trash. Adults operated the registers and acted as supervisors. In time the stock staff expanded to include a few of our high school friends and my two younger brothers. Later on, another brother and sister team joined the staff. 

My employment continued during my college years. Tom always had part-time work for me and my brothers during summer and winter breaks from school. It was a busy store and there was always work to be done, but no one worked too hard, and there was time at the end of the day for a few laughs.

The passing of time is an odd thing and 45 years is a long time, but I have clear memories of those days.

I remember the names and faces of coworkers. I remember the salesmen and the delivery drivers. I remember customers were regulars and their favorite brand of beverages or preferred brands of cigarettes. 

In those days, Old Style beer was popular, so was Budweiser, Michelob, Stroh's and Lowenbrau. Light beers were becoming popular, too, but not to the extent that they are today. We sold a lot of half barrels of beer during the summer months. You rarely see those today.

No one had heard of microbrews then, and imported beers such as Beck's, Heineken's and Harp's were about as exotic as it got in the Midwest, although Tom offered a cooler of imported beers that was ahead of its time. 

Many of today's popular brands of bourbons, Scotch whiskeys, vodkas, gins, liquors, and rums were popular then. Some have disappeared from store shelves. The same is true for other products. Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill and Riunite Lambrusco wine were popular brands with young drinkers, but are no longer available. 

Tom also was ahead of his time when it came to wine, and he offered a selection in the early 1980s that would impress serious wine drinkers today. He taught me a great deal about wine then, knowledge I retain to this day. 

Independent liquor stores, ones with an extensive inventory and knowledgeable staff, are hard to find today. They still exist, but many have been replaced by chain grocery stores. Those qualities were commonplace at Elms, and they contributed to making the store more than just a neighborhood stop. 

I look forward to sharing more about the store, but those details will have to wait for another time. 

- Thank you for reading. Your questions and comments are always welcome.