By Roger Owens
When Mom passed and the dust had settled, with the usual bickering over her estate, we got some money and I decided to get us a camper. Cindy and I had always thought we would go back to a pontoon boat for our retirement, but it was clear we are no longer up to boating. Plus, we would be limited to the waterways nearby. But with a camper trailer, we would be going back even farther, to our days as master tent campers. We had it all, double inflatable mattresses so you’re just like in a bed, reading lights, side tables, fans, shower, our own toilet, and a separate room in the tent to put it in. I mean, we were pros. In the intervening years we rented motor homes several times, and the ease with which we could get into the wilderness and then just pack up and leave impressed us greatly. So, a camper it would be.
What it takes to knock on a stranger’s door
Interviewed by Moristotle
I met Tiffany McLemore when she knocked on our door to look into advising us on our health insurance. She came in person rather than telephone because I had indicated (falsely) on the postcard I’d mailed back “for information” that we had “no phone” – my reason of course being that I didn’t want a telephone call. I was actually expecting an email, if anything. Certainly not for someone to knock on my door.
But there she was, smiling, friendly, open, kind. I felt as though I could open up to her, so I confessed that the only reason I had for mailing back that post card inquiring about our health insurance was to see whether I could get one of the promised Walmart gift cards. I was struck by the ease with which she said to my wife, who was standing beside me: “He’s a funny guy.” My wife didn’t disagree.
I think that the knock probably says a lot about Ms. McLemore. So I emailed the address on her business card later and asked her whether she would like to do an interview. Graciously, she said yes. My questions are in italics.
By James Knudsen
More than once, tales of my time in the retail trenches have found there way into this column. I found two such instances and stopped looking. To review, I didn’t like sales. But many do. An old friend of mine – we’re nearing four decades of friendship – has spent most of his adult life in sales of one kind or another, usually involving electronics for home and auto. His career began in the late eighties with a now defunct retail giant in Orange County, California. He ascended the career ladder, eventually becoming manager of various departments. One stint in particular seems relevant during this strange time in which we live.
Business as usual
By James Knudsen
We are currently in the midst of the latest drama to come out of the Trump White House. It is alleged that President Trump asked then-FBI Chief James Comey to “let go” of the Russia investigation. I offer the following explanation of the thinking – er, the mindset – behind that statement. I’m not making an apology and I’m not excusing a President seeking to make an uncomfortable situation go away. My only hope is to illuminate.
