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A Punchable Face

A Donnie Story - 1

Back in the early 1990s, moving to a new state, I needed work, so I took a commission-based Major Sales job at an appliance store that sold everything from TV, VCRs, to kitchen appliances. It was known for being smarmy with the “Crazy” store owner ads.

I had a terrible assistant store manager who openly stole sales from me and others. He told attractive young saleswomen to show skin and shake it to sell products. He was a ginger haired jerk, with a punchable face, who always sounded like he had a plugged nose.

I lived just off the same busy street as the store. Day to day, traffic changed dramatically. One day, the morning trip could be five minutes, the next twenty for no obvious reason.

Fifteen minutes before the store opened, there was a sales meeting to go over promotions and to chide us for not selling more.

I hit one of those days when the traffic was at a crawl. I got in the store five minutes late and went to clock in.

Donny saw me and thought he would make an example of me as I scurried past them.

“Mr. G______. You are late.”

Sure, I knew that. I pointed to the line of traffic outside at the light.

Donnie got louder. “I have a question for you. Do you like this job?”

I stopped and turned to look at him. Without hesitation, I said, “No, Donny. I don’t.”

The sales team roared. “Do you want to keep this job?”

“Not particularly, no.”

Again, they laughed, and he just shook his head. Threats don’t work if you don’t care.

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Read excerpts from Trolls and other Trouble - Book One
Read excerpts from Prophecies and other Problems - Book Two