Ken Anderson 2906 May Street Eau Claire WI 54701 715-839-8470 [email protected]www.mayberryreflections.com
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Thank you Joe for your kind words. When I was 18 and in college I worked in
a very small grocery store in my hometown. There were four "mom and pop"
grocery stores in the town with a population of around 500. Each owner
lived either above or behind their store in a small apartment. I stocked
shelves, carried packages to the cars, and even did a bit in the meat
department although I never cut the meat. But I did weigh and wrap it. I
often wonder how all those stores made a living, but they did albeit was
quite a different level of living from today. I also stood on the steps of
our drug store on some Sunday's mornings selling the newspapers while the
owners went to a Packer's game. I moved on to setting pins in our bowling
alley where I made $2.40 setting pins two alleys at a time for about three
hours. Finally moved up to a job where I had over 100 people under me. I
mowed lawn at our town cemetery. Even though those experiences were over 45
years ago I remember each one very vividly and I recall the work ethics and
values that my employers taught me. Times were very difficult for our family
at that time so those jobs were greatly appreciated. And the great thing
about it is that in all my life since then I had never been unemployed one
day in all 45 years. I think growing up in a small town in the Midwest has
been just a wonderful experience and I would not have traded it for
anything. Just yesterday I received an email from a high school friend who
I haven't heard from in 45 years. He read the story in my hometown paper
about my Mayberry passion and he visited my website and left a message. A
former neighbor from my childhood whose husband was a pallbearer at both my
mother's and father's funeral also called me. Hadn't seen or talked to her
in many many years. She wanted a book to give to her son who was a playmate
of mine when we were young boys. I have five very different Mayberry
presentations coming up with a group of school children, a nursing home, a
church group, a retirement community, and a Sons of Norway group. The thing
that everyone says they like the best in my presentation is the part where
I show old pictures of my hometown and my childhood and how I compare it
and link it to life in Mayberry. I have actually had people cry during that
part as it brought back so many memories of their growing up years. Sorry
about this but yet another long post. Don't mean to monopolize things on
the Digest, but I just never tire of talking about TAGS and you wonderful
folks are such great listeners. God bless each and every one of you.
