Category: Southwestern Company

My First Taste of California

Posted in Big Sur, California, church, church ladies, college, dogs, door-to-door salesperson, dorm room, friends, hot pants, Iowa, Iowa State University, Newark, perverts, pyramid scheme, Southwestern Company, summer, summer job, YosemiteLeave a comment

When I was in college, the spring of my sophomore year, I saw a poster for a summer job – “Earn $3000 in just three months.” Back in 1975, that was a lot of money. I went to the evening meeting on campus and found myself in a room with a dozen other “applicants.” After… Continue reading My First Taste of California

Hitchhiking Story

Posted in book sale, books, car, college, door-to-door salesperson, hitch hiking, memoir, Ohio, Southwestern Company, summerLeave a comment

(re-run) When I was 20, I sold books door to door that summer in Ohio for Southwestern Company.  The regional boss told me at our Sunday meeting to spend a day working with one of his ace sellers. The problem was, I didn’t have a car to get to the town where he worked. The… Continue reading Hitchhiking Story

My Past Life as a Cat Burglar

Posted in best, books, California, children's books, co-workers, door to door salesperson, firsts, humor, job, memoir, Midwestern, outdoors, police officer, Southwestern Company, summer, worst2 Comments

(re-run) I was fifteen hundred miles away from home. It was the summer of 1975. I had my sample case with me from Southwestern Books. I’d worn my hot pants to stay cool. I had already rung three dozen doorbells. Selling books door to door wasn’t always a cake walk. It was lunchtime. I had… Continue reading My Past Life as a Cat Burglar

Cat Burglar

Posted in California, cats, college, dogs, door to door salesperson, humor, memoir, police officer, relationships, Southwestern Company, worstLeave a comment

I was in Fremont, California. It was the summer of 1975.  I had my sample case with me. I’d worn my hot pants to stay cool. I had already rung three dozen doorbells. Selling books door to door wasn’t always a cake walk.  It was lunchtime. I had one more doorbell to ring before I’d… Continue reading Cat Burglar