Summer in the City

School was part of life, a daily routine, until it wasn’t, in June. Hooray, school’s out and there’s no more
homework. For the kids in the cities, May 30, Memorial Day, had been the start of swimming in the lakes.

A little chilly but school’s out in a week or so.

For the undergrads, it’s time for a summer job. Word passed among friends where to apply, the places
with the best pay. We all knew that the then ‘supermarket’ paid the highest rate. At the time we were all
about 16 and could drive. Sixteen was the age when you could get a Permit to Drive. Freedom.

SNL had its ‘Wild and Crazy Guys’ from Czechoslovakia, we had our teachers and bosses who were
about ten years older. We had to have a ‘glue’ that brought us together. It was our work, we all worked
in supermarkets in town. 

The grocery manager often was in charge of Monday nights. We had after-school shifts as ‘carry-outs’,
we took the customers’ groceries to the car. Yes, that was the way. 

Monday was special. That’s when the local truck company brought the new merch.It was the night
we restocked the store. We got more hours and had fun.

Myron was our manager guy. Once we went swimming after the shift, another time we were
‘moonlighters’. Well, just a sort of wine. Yes, we, well, he used the facilities.

We helped crush and load the expired cherries into the Redwing vessel. It fermented and a couple
Mondays later, we had a sip. Not a good mash. I blew my cookies in bed and in the sink.

And we got  80 cents an hour.