Story by Jon Stalnaker AKA The Studebaker Dude
Last year I wrote about retirement jobs. I mentioned two in particular, but there was so much more I would like to say about the Readi Ride one. I worked that job long enough to get a second retirement, so I think it deserves more memories. Actually, I have written other stories about that experience, as it was a fun job in so many ways. I recently commented on a Facebook post about Dixon’s Readi Ride, and it brought back some memories that I would like to share.
I retired in 2015 and Vicki, my boss at the time, is still there. She replied to my comment saying that there are many regular customers that are still talking about me. That’s about as good a compliment as you can get in my book.
I loved the people I would chauffeur around, and I miss that most of all from that job. As a matter of fact, when I retired from that job, I thought it would be a good idea to write a regular column in my local newspaper. I proposed it to the editor, and she thought it was a good idea also. I called that column Shootin’ The Breeze with the Studebaker Dude and wrote a story every week for over 6 years before we moved to Oklahoma. It was my way of continuing to talk with all the friends I made in Dixon, driving the bus for 7 years.
I had many management positions in my postal career, and so I am no stranger to a desk in an office. I usually clear it off at least one time a year, whether it needs it or not. I once saw a picture of Albert Einstein’s desk, and it was worse than mine ever was. He said a messy desk was a sign of a brilliant mind (or something like that), so I always considered it a good thing.
Sometimes I find stuff in the clutter that means something to me, and I can’t bring myself to toss it. Let me give you an example. Vicki sent me an envelope with cut-out snippets of my old paperwork. They purge all that old stuff after a number of years, and she was amused enough with my old shenanigans to save a few of those tidbits from the shredder. I’ve included pictures. Yes, they are still tucked away in the clutter of my desk. I can’t throw this stuff out.
I used to have to document every ride including who, where I picked them up and where I dropped them off. I started off drawing a picture of a Daisy instead of just the name. Daisy was a regular rider and we all knew her. Then I started drawing pictures instead of the name of the destination. One of my favorites was Dollar Tree; I would draw a tree with dollar signs hanging from the branches like fruit. I brought color pens to make them pop.
Sometimes I could draw it in the time it took the passenger to get on and get off the bus. Sometimes I had to go back during down time waiting for the next call. I didn’t let it slow me down. I was always efficient with my time; I spent way too many years as a manager to not be. Other favorites were Dennys, UPS Store, McDonalds, Jack in the Box, and multiple pizza places.
I watched many a child grow up by taking them to school from grammar school to high school. I especially liked twins. I had identical twin boys named Devon and Davonte. I couldn’t tell them apart. I told them I was renaming them “Te” and “no Te,” and those names stuck. Even their mother, whom I also took to work, called them “Te” and “no Te”. After they graduated from high school, I saw them both working in different restaurants. I took a picture of them and wrote a story for my Shootin’ The Breeze column in Dixon. They were so adorable.
There was another set of identical twins that I used to take home from high school. They always wore their hair differently; one wore it slicked back into a ponytail, and the other all bushed out. I once suggested that they switch hairstyles for the day to fool their friends. I never saw them do it, but I bet it would have fooled many people. (Maybe they did and completely fooled me without telling me.)
I also gave rides to many seniors in town. I even drove them to Senior field trips. Boy, that was fun. My wife and her mother were usually on these trips, and I got paid to go. Here I am getting long-winded again. I could write a book about this subject. That was a great job, and I loved every minute of it. I did write a lot of these stories in Dixon. It was a small town similar to Sapulpa, and many of the seniors were well known in the community. It’s so satisfying for me to reminisce about those days.
