Old Age is Hell .....

I struck out twice last night. My wife Marilyn and I at dinner at a local family restaurant, TJ's.

While eating, an older gentleman walked by the table, gave me one of those "knowing" looks and walked on. "OH, WHO WAS IT?" .... I think it was Bill Colville, who I have not seen in probably 30 years. When he retired, he became a park ranger or something, somewhere, but this had to be him.

I asked my wife to check him out, she was sure it was him.

So, I got up and walked to the front, tapped him on the arm, and with a smile on my face of, recognition, "Aren't you Bill Colville?"

"No, I'm not from around here."

Strike out ONE.

Then, when we were about done eating, I looked over at a couple who was finishing up also, and it had to be old Dick Odor. Aged some, but it had to be him.

As they walked by, I extended my hand, he shook it, told me that his memory was not so good, so I told him, "I'm Joe Dooley, I used to work part time for you when you were at the clothing store."

Well, his wife told us that this was not Dick Odor, gave us some other name. We talked with them for about fifteen minutes, had a lot of mutual friends and acquaintenances, but this was not Dick.

He looked like Dick and talked like Dick, the other guy looked and talked like Bill Colville.

So, I got to wondering if all these folks were having .... well you know, some of those senior moments .... and forgot who they were, or didn't remember. If you look like Dick Odor and talk like Dick Odor, you must be Dick Odor, but this guy and his wife did not know that.

OR

I could not have been wrong on both counts, I don't think, well, maybe ......

We have one friend, who has Alzheimers, now living with his ex-wife, who also has it, and I guess they have forgotten all of the past .... worked out well for them ....

Old age is hell ....

Almost December

Christmas is creeping up on us, a month away, but starting to see some Christmas Sales already. What a wonderfull time of the year for retailers and jewelers and others. I wish I had been keeping count, but I think, on an average, we see 37 commercials a day, for jewelers, DIAMONDS, DIAMOND RINGS, DIAMOND NECKLACES, DIAMONDS, DIAMONDS.

A guilt trip is layed on the man who DOES NOT purchase diamonds for his wife. The commercial shows, well, a lot of them are men giving diamonds to their wives, in the morning, while they are in bed .... and if you notice .... there is a pause, then a blank, on what happens AFTER she gets the diamonds. Advertising EXTORTION. IF YOU want to have a .... nice ...... Christmas, give her diamonds. When, where and why, did diamonds become the ultimate christmas gift. And, Christmas is for KIDS, but we never see Dad giving diamonds to his kids, just his wife.

Many years ago, the office of a retailer, all the salesmen are there, looking depressed, probably in August, hot, overhead fan humming ....

"People, people, listen to me, sales are down, we're stuck with a bunch of summer stuff that didn't sell, and never will .. any ideas we can drop in the well......"

"Chief, hay prices are up, it's taking more money to keep the horses going, so the milk guy has to spend more, the iceman, the bread guy, it just goes on and on. Hell, my lunch today cost over 45 cents, no one has any money to spend on things."

"Look people, if we don't do a good November and December, we are in trouble, BIG TROUBLE. Harry, you marketing guys, any ideas?"

"Well, a couple of weeks ago we hired that guy that used to me a minister, and well, we were talking at lunch about Christmas coming up, and he's a bit of a nut, goes in to the whole story thing, the guy, his wife, no room at the inn, the whole thing ..... but I remember he was talking about them three smart guys that brought GIFTS for the baby, on December 25th. Well, Charlie in shipping and old Cory in maintenance, well we was talkin at bowling, about the gift thing, and well, I just wondered if we culdn't start spreading that thought .... give gifts, in December, at Christmas, well, not to the kid, but to each other, make it a BIG selling thing. Hell, start right after Thanksgiving, everyone is full and happy, get 'em out shopping, drill that advertising into them .... gifts, gifts, presents, presents, more, more ... and then after Christmas, BIG SALES to get rid of everything ... and then start all over .... might work, huh?"

"Harry, let's drop that in the well and listen to it splash .... I think you got something there, I can see big parades and the guy in the red suit comin to town .... get the kids to not shut up till they let 'em know what they want ...... I like this .... Harry ..... may have hit on something."

It started earlier, but this put it over the top. Old Harry, in Marketing, who'd of thought it!