Salesmen

I worked at Baker Shoes in Eastgate Mall when I was a freshman at Tennessee Temple in 1967.  That was 1967, not 1867 for all of you smarties.  There were always several salesmen working and we had a pecking order.  The best salesmen from the previous pay period had priority when a customer came in the door.  We were forbidden to pounce on customers the instant they came into the door, but some salespeople were more forward than others.  And Gary was a pain.  He was the first to wait on any pretty girl that came through the door.  On a particular day, a rather homely girl came in shopping for shoes and Gary said, “Whitely, you’re up.”  I showed her several different styles and she settled on one.  Then she pulled out a sheet of paper from her purse and said, “I am the secretary for The Singing Mocs, and I would like 28 pair of shoes in this style.  Here are their sizes.”  As Gary’s jaw dropped, I began to fill her order.