Those Were the Days
Today, I saw some old friends. They said my blog was boring. I laughed because it IS boring!!
They had a special request to recount tales of my life working in a record store. Here goes...
Fast forward four years. I was 16, a senior in high school, with no income to speak of. Still, I managed to convince my parents to pony up for whatever the latest record was that I wanted - one record at a time. We didn't have tons of money so I had to be convincing in my arguments. Back then, it was all things U2. I had come out of my Duran Duran phase and was looking for music with more meaning and a good beat.
One day, I appeared at the checkout counter, record in hand, when the manager Merle said I come in so often that I should work there. I said that I'd LOVE that. He suggested I come in for an interview. I was/am a smart gal, but I hadn't realized that he was being serious. Next thing I know, I'm coming in for an interview.
I go into the back room for the interview. The back room was filled with records, posters, dusty boxes, weird people with long hair, old record players. In other words, it was heaven (except for the weird people with long hair). Merle and I talked and we had a lovely time. During the interview, one question stood out for me. He asked me how I felt about gay people. He said that all kinds of folks come in to the store and that I needed to be OK with that. He asked because I went to Catholic school at the time. My answer is that I could give a crap (said slightly more delicately). He said Great. You start Saturday. Again, this all happened so fast, but it seemed right at the time.
OH! The cast of characters at that shop. Merle was a part time college professor. The record shop was originally his, but he sold it to a family who took it to the next level making it a multi-million dollar business. Merle didn't leave because he held court in that shop every single day. Young people, older people, musicians, celebrities, politicians, everyone wanted to talk to him, he thought. I think they mostly just wanted a discount on music. His co-manager, Dick, was also a part time college professor and part time pedophile. More on that later. There was Allison. She was a funny, but confused lesbian. Not confused about being a lesbian. Oh no! Confused about being a person. Ted was a European with a devil may care attitude reflected in a mess of a mop on top of his head. He was very smart and funny as hell. His wife was Merle's girlfriend. Not "was" as in they used to date and now she was married. She still was even after she was married. Merle and Ted didn't care.
Those were the managers. Regular employees included Loni. She was from the East Coast. She had red spiky hair and tattoos. She gave me my first cigarette. I thought I was so cool. She cried a lot. Merle tried his paternal magic on her, but she wasn't always having it. She was always very sweet to me and treated me like a kid sis. Sonny was a DJ and an artist. He was a sweet person who used to defend me if I ever needed defending. He was the definition of a friend even when I didn't know I needed one. Colin was a long haired, acne scarred Dead head. I think he had a crush on me that went unacknowledged for YEARS. Better that it never get dealt with than jeopardizing my working at Downbeat. Then, there was John. John was seven years older than me. Somehow we ended up dating for a million years.
I was part of the younger cast of crazies hired to watch people and make sure they didn't steal. I took my job very seriously. So did some of my co-workers. Ridge was a huge boy-man. He was my age or younger and just a little pit bull. He was very tall, buff, and could scare just about anyone. Lucky, they didn't know that he was a very gentle person. His gruff exterior was all for show. He showed it a lot. Liam was a rich kid who was bored with life. Dick had an affair with his mom and Dick was forever trying to make up for it to Liam. Liam knew and used it when he needed. Rico was a kid I had a crush on. He was nice and we like the same music. Tony was like a little brother. I remember that I once said I wanted spaghettios for my b-day and he wrapped up a can of spaghettios for my birthday.
There are a million combinations of stories with these folks. This'll serve as an intro to future tales.
They had a special request to recount tales of my life working in a record store. Here goes...
I frequented a local record store. Let's call it Downbeat Records. The managers of Downbeat had known me since I was wee kid of 12 - prime Duran Duran fan age. I would visit the record store every weekend while my mom went shopping because the stores were in the same strip mall. I'd spend HOURS pouring through every single new and used LP, cassette and 45 there was. I knew that store like the back of my hand. Music was my life. (For example, I used to listen to Casey Kasem's America's Top 40 program and write every single hit down, memorize it, and recite it back to the kids at school. Lionel Richie jumped up 2 notches to #14 I'd say with such passion it was as if I was responsible for his success.) I loved music. There was no me without music.
Fast forward four years. I was 16, a senior in high school, with no income to speak of. Still, I managed to convince my parents to pony up for whatever the latest record was that I wanted - one record at a time. We didn't have tons of money so I had to be convincing in my arguments. Back then, it was all things U2. I had come out of my Duran Duran phase and was looking for music with more meaning and a good beat.
One day, I appeared at the checkout counter, record in hand, when the manager Merle said I come in so often that I should work there. I said that I'd LOVE that. He suggested I come in for an interview. I was/am a smart gal, but I hadn't realized that he was being serious. Next thing I know, I'm coming in for an interview.
I go into the back room for the interview. The back room was filled with records, posters, dusty boxes, weird people with long hair, old record players. In other words, it was heaven (except for the weird people with long hair). Merle and I talked and we had a lovely time. During the interview, one question stood out for me. He asked me how I felt about gay people. He said that all kinds of folks come in to the store and that I needed to be OK with that. He asked because I went to Catholic school at the time. My answer is that I could give a crap (said slightly more delicately). He said Great. You start Saturday. Again, this all happened so fast, but it seemed right at the time.
OH! The cast of characters at that shop. Merle was a part time college professor. The record shop was originally his, but he sold it to a family who took it to the next level making it a multi-million dollar business. Merle didn't leave because he held court in that shop every single day. Young people, older people, musicians, celebrities, politicians, everyone wanted to talk to him, he thought. I think they mostly just wanted a discount on music. His co-manager, Dick, was also a part time college professor and part time pedophile. More on that later. There was Allison. She was a funny, but confused lesbian. Not confused about being a lesbian. Oh no! Confused about being a person. Ted was a European with a devil may care attitude reflected in a mess of a mop on top of his head. He was very smart and funny as hell. His wife was Merle's girlfriend. Not "was" as in they used to date and now she was married. She still was even after she was married. Merle and Ted didn't care.
Those were the managers. Regular employees included Loni. She was from the East Coast. She had red spiky hair and tattoos. She gave me my first cigarette. I thought I was so cool. She cried a lot. Merle tried his paternal magic on her, but she wasn't always having it. She was always very sweet to me and treated me like a kid sis. Sonny was a DJ and an artist. He was a sweet person who used to defend me if I ever needed defending. He was the definition of a friend even when I didn't know I needed one. Colin was a long haired, acne scarred Dead head. I think he had a crush on me that went unacknowledged for YEARS. Better that it never get dealt with than jeopardizing my working at Downbeat. Then, there was John. John was seven years older than me. Somehow we ended up dating for a million years.
I was part of the younger cast of crazies hired to watch people and make sure they didn't steal. I took my job very seriously. So did some of my co-workers. Ridge was a huge boy-man. He was my age or younger and just a little pit bull. He was very tall, buff, and could scare just about anyone. Lucky, they didn't know that he was a very gentle person. His gruff exterior was all for show. He showed it a lot. Liam was a rich kid who was bored with life. Dick had an affair with his mom and Dick was forever trying to make up for it to Liam. Liam knew and used it when he needed. Rico was a kid I had a crush on. He was nice and we like the same music. Tony was like a little brother. I remember that I once said I wanted spaghettios for my b-day and he wrapped up a can of spaghettios for my birthday.
There are a million combinations of stories with these folks. This'll serve as an intro to future tales.
posted by Cee in SF at 5:15 PM
2 Comments:
Ooh, fun. More, please.
P.S. If they think your blog is boring, they haven't been over at mine lately. Hey, no one's been over at mine lately. *looks around befuddledly*
I'll try to do at least a story or two a week. Try, I say!
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