When you are 14 years old and possess less than refined social skills, it’s not easy to find a summer job, so I headed to the community pool to celebrate the first day of summer vacation.
I immediately noticed my two best friends, both of them in similar employment status, as they scouted out the best location for a day of fun and mischief that only happens in those neighborhood pools.
As we settled in, my friend alerted us to what seemed like earth-shattering news at the time.
“I think I found a job,” he exclaimed.
It seems he had stumbled on what would become employment for all three of us, working on a Charles Chips delivery truck and running chips, pretzels and chocolate chip cookies door to door in a variety of neighborhoods.
Bright and early the next day, a vintage panel step van pulled in front of my house and collected me for what would be my first day of work. Sure, I’d had paper routes, sold seeds door to door for Boy Scouts and mowed a fair share of lawns in my neighborhood; but real employment at a real job was a new experience.
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Joe had been delivering Charles Chips for some years, and had a good grasp on how to sell the most, but, more importantly, he possessed an understanding of how to retain customers.
The ex-Marine had a slow, sincere, southern drawl that appealed to the customers we encountered, and they had learned that Joe was a man of his word and always delivered on a promise.
Those first days progressed as Joe drove the old truck and we ran from door to door picking up and dropping off potato chips. Money for the new order was left under the empty can left on the front porch.
When we weren’t hustling chips, Joe would enlighten us with war stories or his theory of successful business. As the weeks passed, Joe became more of a mentor than an employer.
Joe knew something about just everything you can imagine and never failed to amaze us with his outdated quips and a unique ability to replace curse words with like sounding alternatives.
“You have to look sharp if you want to sell something. No one wants to buy products from a bum,” he told us as he straightened his simple black clip-on tie positioned perfectly on a simple short sleeved white shirt.
Needless to say, we didn’t realize we were actually learning something as the summer progressed, but all three of us never missed a day on the truck; and Joe became the person you could go to and discuss anything.
As summer ended, we went back to high school and Joe continued to sell Charles Chips around town. We stayed in touch.
For many years following that summer, the three of us would get together at Christmas and make a visit to Joe’s small apartment. It wasn’t until far later in life that I realized Joe’s contributions and influence on our lives.
He joins dozens of others who have positively affected my life, a sort of collage of people from all walks of life and various professions – all contributing bits of wisdom I hope wasn’t lost on the recipient.
But, Joe provided my first lessons in business in those hot days of August sitting in that old step van surrounded by cans of Charles Chips.
As for that trio of young entrepreneurs who enjoyed the wisdom of a crusty, old Marine that summer, one chose to work on the railroad and the security that accompanied, and another became a well-respected circuit court judge.
I took Joe’s advice and pursued a career doing something I loved much more than door-to-door sales. When the seasoned warrior finally gave up the fight and passed years later, a small obituary appeared in the local newspaper. It listed no survivors or family members, and information regarding a funeral was missing.
As I read the announcement, I thought that an unknowing reader might assume this person lived an insignificant life, unfulfilled with the joys of family and loved ones. To those who knew Joe, nothing was further from the truth.
For certain, his legacy is fondly remembered and respected by that trio of friends who learned life’s earliest lessons riding in a Charles Chips van, perhaps unrecognized but not unremembered.
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February 27, 2022 at 06:58PM
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Unrecognized mentor leaves lasting impact | News | richmond.com - Richmond.com
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