I was working at a Toys R Us store in Clive, Iowa and was decent merchandiser who was NOT good enough to be a manager (the hair... so I thought!) but was plenty good enough to train all of the summer temp employees. That used to drive me up the wall sideways when it happened as they would hire people right off the street for the management program, but would not promote me from within.
Year's later, I get it. I cussed like a sailor, a really bad cussing one, at that, and I didn't present myself in a very professional manner outside of the cussing either. Easy to see now, but at the time it honked me off like you wouldn't believe.
But not only would I train the summer employees, I would also be tasked with training all of the Manager Trainee's when it came to the sales floor. There were several times that the company saved money by not having a sales floor manager and letting me handle the more menial tasks while the store room manager would handle the more important stuffs.
Drove. Me. BAAAATTTTTTTTTTTYYYYYYY!!!!!!
However, I soon discovered that I was training a LOT of young ladies who were looking for a summer job betwixt college semesters. Perhaps this training thing wasn't so bad after all? The bad thing was, I didn't really click with any of them. No spark, as they say.
Then, one day in May 1990, a young lady walked into aisle 3C where we displayed remote control cars, trains and a very wide selection of Tonka trucks and tractors.
I was sick and/or tired of training temp employees, most of whom last a month or less, and I was NOT happy to get another one for my current shift.
But then "SHE" walked in.
Lesley Kay Bushman walked into the aisle where I was working a U-boat full of merchandise onto the shelves. My first words to her were, "Prepare to learn". No real introductions as I couldn't be bothered with such trivial things.
The first memory I have of her, other than my most intelligent introduction, was her smile. I love a good smile and this young lady had a REALLY GOOD SMILE (still does!). Not only that, she had pretty eyes too. Those eyes could find a shred of good in someone like the devil.
While I don't think I was quite at the devil-level, I was not what you would call a great catch either. Most fisher-wo-men would have thrown me back.
Lucky for me, she didn't.
She helped me move from a small apartment shared with 2 other loose cannons and that didn't scare her off. We sat on a couch, facing the wall, outside of our apartment building til all hours of the night just talking and enjoying each other's company.
We stayed up all night, talking, laughing, playing Tetris, spilling orange Kool-Aid on white carpet, walking and truly just enjoying our time spent together. I didn't really know it at the time, nor was I emotionally or mentally equipped for such a thing, but I was falling in LOVE!
HARD!!!!!
27 years later, 25 of those as married, we've been thru a lot of great, good, not-so-good, horrible and worse times together.
Key word, together.
We've been mad at each other but have never really had a fight.
We fought thru a crazy pregnancy together while remodeling a house and were entrusted with a baby, of all things, Robert James Schmitz!
Went thru adoption courses and to China together (with Robert James Schmitz in tow!).
Changed careers multiple times together.
Supported each others hobbies (she supports my guitar addiction more than anything!!) and interests. She once went with me to a record show as a highly uninterested guest and when I was confronted with a couple of late '70s KISS promo records issued specifically to radio stations only, she offered up her watch to help pay for them. The fella was so moved, he accepted my cash and handed her watch back to her!
And the list goes on and on...
I hope and pray that our marriage and friendship do the same!
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