SUNDAY FUNDAY - MAY 21, 2023

 SUNDAY FUNDAY - SUNDAY MAY 21, 2023

MY FIRST JOB (with a paycheck);

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day.  And that reminded me of my first “real” job.  Prior to that, I delivered newspapers but I handled my own finances - collected money from subscribers - paid the Cedar Rapids Gazette the amount for the papers, and kept what was left (and put it in the bank for college).  I also mowed a few neighbors' yards and got paid.  

It was late April in the spring of 1965.  The spring events were over - the spring play was over,  the band and choir concerts were over, I didn’t run track or play baseball - so - I didn’t have any activities on my calendar - and I was going to college in the fall. 

I’ve been trying to remember how I found my first job - maybe it was a want ad in the Gazette.  I don’t remember an interview - I probably was called and I said “yes”.

It was at the Hotel Roosevelt in Cedar Rapids Iowa.  I was a busboy for the dining room.  I got paid 75 cents an hour!!  (WOO!!!).  I worked 15 hours a week - Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.  

My job was easy, as patrons left the hotel restaurant, I cleared the table of dirty plates, glasses, and silverware.  I had a tub that I put things in and carried the tub back to the kitchen.  

I filled the dishwasher (houses didn’t have dishwashers yet).  And, after the dishes were washed, I put them away in storage units.  I thought I was smart and started to put the spoons together, the forks together and the knives together so that when the washing was done, I could sort it quicker.  My manager saw that and suggested I not do that.  Silverware might stick together and not get clean.  (I’m picturing spoons with gooey pudding sticking together and not getting fully washed).  

My job went well - I didn’t get fired - and I didn’t drop a tray of dirty dishes!!!

Then came Mother’s Day.  The hotel was famous for its Mother’s Day Buffet.  They put tables and chairs in the ballroom, and people had to have reservations and the ballroom was full and people were waiting.  

I didn’t have a chance to relax - it was hustle, hustle, hustle.  (And stay out of the way of the waitstaff). 

My parents and grandmother came through and I waved but was too busy to even say ‘hi’.  

I knew I was going to college in the fall.  My sister was two years older and was at a private (aka “expensive”) college and I hadn’t been directly told, but knew I needed to find a public (cheaper) college) and had decided to go to Winona State in Minnesota. The public schools in Iowa were big - the University of Iowa, and Iowa State University both had over 30,000 students.  Going out of state seemed the best option and it was still affordable.

About two weeks later, the boss casually came to me and asked, “I suppose you’ll be leaving us soon?”.  I hadn’t really thought about it, but casually said “I suppose”.

And two weeks later I had my better summer job - delivering furniture with Bill.  (That’s worthy of a story, but not today).  

**

I was remembering this as a friend asked me to join her and her family at Blue Corn Restaurant in Georgetown Texas for Mother’s Day lunch (it was a great lunch, and I didn’t have to clear the table)!!

*****

What was your first “real” job?  

*****

WHAT’S HAPPENING.

Walburg Mayfest - at the Walburg German Restaurant (in the back) - Saturday, May 27 - starting about 7:00 p.m.  Come out, and grab a table, you can buy food and beverages there - including soft drinks.  Have fun, dance, and listen to the Brushy Creek Brass Band and the Walburg Boys.

Granny Basketball - split a doubleheader in Conroe last weekend - lost to the Waco Six Shooters last Tuesday.  Just a few things left in our season.

Trying to get the San Gabriel Brass off the ground for some summer music.

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I’ve been finding stories and jokes on the Internet for this weekly blog.  I wrote my own short story.  I hope you enjoy it.

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THE CATCH

Joe Schmidt was a good student at Jefferson High School.  He wasn’t the captain of the football team but was a defensive lineman.  His job was to tackle the ball carrier on running plays and attack the quarterback on pass plays.  He was maybe a little better than average and the team was a little better than average in the East Iowa Conference.  They played Dubuque Hempstead, Davenport Porter, Davenport East, Waterloo North, and Waterloo Central.  But, the big game of the season was playing the cross-town rival - Cedar Rapids Washington.  

Jefferson rarely beat Washington.  Washington was the “rich school” - with rich parents.  Jefferson was the blue-collar school.  Joe’s teammates had dads that drove trucks and worked at Quaker Oats, or Penick and Ford.  Sure, Joe’s dad worked for Colonial Baking Company and ran his bread truck to the groceries stores around Cedar Rapids.  George Schmidt went in about six in the morning and helped load the delivery trucks and then loaded his own truck and went out to grocery stores in Tipton, Maquoketa, Alamosa, Monticello, and other small towns.  But, George Schmidt was always at the home football games - and most of the out-of-town games.  

In 1960, Jefferson had a great quarterback, Bill Ivers.  Rumors had it that the University of Iowa was recruiting him.  John Mackawane was the fullback that year and he was like a run-away train.  The coach was Brian McDermott, in his tenth year of coaching.

On November 3, 1960, the “BIG” game was held.  Washington came into the game 6 and 1, and Jefferson was also 6 and 1.  Washington’s only loss had been a disaster - losing 28 to 7 at Dubuque Hempstead; Jefferson’s only loss had been at Waterloo Central losing on an amazing field goal in the last second by their placekicker (after a fumble by Ivers).

Kingston Stadium was packed.  The J-Hawks were in their blue uniforms.  The Warriors from Washington were in their white and red uniforms.  Both schools used the same stadium, but this was the year that the Warriors were the home team and the J-Hawks were the visiting team. But, the stadium was just about evenly split and was packed.  Supposedly lots of college scouts were recruiting.  Joe didn’t think any coach would be recruiting him - average or maybe a little better than average.  Scouts wanted quarterbacks, running backs, and wide ends - not interior linemen.  

The two bands joined on the field for the National Anthem.  Jefferson won the coin toss and had the ball first.

Back and forth - some good plays and some not-so-good plays.  It came down late in the fourth quarter with Jefferson holding a 21 to 20 lead. 

Joe had played one of his best games - some good tackles, with his buddy Jim Riley, they had sacked the Washington quarterback twice and made him hurry his passes.

But with a minute to go, Washington had moved the ball to the 40-yard line of Jefferson.  A running play went to the 26-yard line and a first down - but only 12 seconds on the clock.  Neither team had much for a placekicker so, if Washington was going to win, they would be going for a touchdown.  

It was a pass play.  Joe and Jim were on it.  It seemed like extra adrenaline was pumping through Joe.  Jim reached the quarterback first as Wisnewski threw the ball. Jim got the tip of his fingers on the ball and it sailed into Joe’s hands.  HE CAUGHT THE BALL!!!

Joe should have just dropped and cradled the ball.  But with an open field in front of him, he started to run.  Now he had reasonable speed for a lineman and the size to run over people.  Picking his path, he started running down the left sideline - he stiff-armed one defender flattened the safety - and somehow lumbered into the end zone holding the ball in his raised right hand.  The noise was deafening.  Then an amazing hush settled over the crowd.

Joe had gotten confused and ran the ball into the Washington endzone - a touchdown for Washington High School Warriors.  And the Washington High School Warriors had won.

*****

Joe didn’t want to go to school on Monday.  “Wrong Way Joe” became his nickname.  

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Last year was the reunion of the class of 1961.  Joe went with his bride of 43 years, Amanda Picotti-Schmidt.  Joe had lived with his nickname for fifty years.  WRONG WAY JOE.  He knew he would be razed, and even though he had been a decent football player at Platteville State University in Wisconsin, and a successful engineer.  That one day, one dumb football play still hounded him.  

There was a little program - each of the attending members of the Jefferson class of 1961 had sent in pictures and a paragraph of what had happened after high school.  Joe was that he was a successful civil engineer. The former class president, Emily Thomas, said: “We have a last speaker.”

An old man, with bright white hair, but with a cane came to the podium.  It had been fifty years since Joe had seen coach Brian McDermott, but he knew him on sight.

Coach McDermott, who had been recruited as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse after the 1960 season and then had been the head coach and winningest coach at the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse, said, “Joe Schmidt, can you come up here.” 

With great reluctance, Joe walked to the podium.  (He heard a couple of the guys say “Wrong Way Joe” as he walked by their tables.)

Coach McDermott said, “A travesty occurred fifty years ago, one that has marked one person with a terrible nickname.  

He continued, “Joe, stand here next to me.”

Emily Thomas had the projector ready - and pressed play.  A grainy black-and-white picture of that football game came up.  Coach McDermott said “Stop” to Emily (who was ready) and said, “Joe, what do you see?”

Joe was embarrassed and said, “It’s me running into the wrong end zone”.

Coach McDermott said, “Joe look closer - your left foot is out of bounds.  You didn’t score the touchdown.  The play should have been over.  

“Joe, and the class of 1961.  We’ve all made mistakes - maybe some of you failed in your business, maybe you got divorced, maybe you got cancer.  There were two mistakes here - a 17-year-old kid with adrenaline pumping running as if his pants were on fire - catching the ball and running into the end zone - and stepping on the out-of-bounds line; and the officials not seeing it.”

“I have two more things to show”.  Coach McDermott nodded to Emily Thomas, who brought two packages to the podium.  

Coach McDermott opened the first package.  It was a plaque from the Iowa High School Athletic Association.  “This certified that in the Cedar Rapids Washington versus Cedar Rapids Jefferson game of November 3, 1960, Cedar Rapids Jefferson won the football game.”

The second was in a bigger package. It was a trophy.  “Joe, this trophy is for winning the East Iowa Conference in 1960.  It will go in the trophy case in the school.”

Coach McDermott continued.  “Yes, we all have made mistakes - and this mistake has just been corrected. You are not WRONG WAY JOE - never have been and nobody should ever refer to you again.

Joe had tears in his eyes as he held the trophy aloft for his classmates to see.  

*****

The moral of the story - what are we letting define our life - is it our mistakes, or our success.  I want to define my life as “Did I love my neighbor as myself?”  

*****

Have a great week

Smile and the world smiles with you.  

LOVE WINS

Karen White, May 21, 2023