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So, I'm watching an episode about
Brian taking a public service job after a DUI arrest. As he
describes how horrible this job is, he
reflects back on the very worst job he's ever had, ...selling cheese at
Hickory Farms! Hickory Farms, at the Nittany Mall in State
College, Pennsylvania, was the place I worked while in 11th and 12th
grades.
I started by making cheese logs
and cheese balls during the Thanksgiving/Christmas rush season of
1974. They needed extra help because the normal guy was off at
Navy bootcamp. I remember when he came back after bootcamp (he
joined the Reserves, not Active Duty) and I saw his crew cut hair and
heard his stories, I thought to myself "What kind of fucking fool
would volunteer for that shit!". ... ;)
Anyhow, this turned into a stock
boy position after the holidays, which then turned to pushing cheese
samples and Summer Sausage. I was climbing the corporate stile
at Hickory Farms!
Historical note (as I was told by
the owner of the store), I was the very first male to ever stand the floor.
Hickory Farms was sort of the Hooter's of the 1970s, only allowing
females (young females) to run the floor. The owner said that
she had to get special permission from corporate headquarters to make
me an official saleswoman, ...errr, salesperson!
I did read the really nice letter she wrote. There were no male shirts (those picnic table checkered red shirts),
so I had to buy a Levi's shirt at Sears.
What's even funnier to me now is
remembering that I
hated most cheeses before I started there. I mean, I liked
the bland stuff like American and cream cheese and mozzarella, but Swiss or anything else?
...no way! By the time my two-year stint was over, I was eating
everything from Gruyere to Stilton to Limburger to Gjetost! Now,
I love cheese somuch that it's probably #1 in my list of fun foods
(over sweets and salts).
I'm only guessing, but this
may have had a lot to do with going out to the parking lot during breaks and
getting stoned, ...then having nothing but cheese to munch on when I
got back to the store ;)
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