Right Hand

I have a confession to make. Uh oh. Another confession. Is this one going to be juicy? No, but it is a character flaw I have. I have a very short memory. How can that be? After all, I remember a lot of stuff from the old days. Yes, but if you tell me your name, I won't remember it 2 seconds later. I have a selective memory, I guess. It is especially a problem if I am stressed. I also have a very difficult time memorizing lines from plays. That's why I do much better with stuff that I write. So, I wanted to write a bit about when I was in management at Belk. I was a buyer for several departments--Stationery, Cards, Gifts, Luggage, Candy, Housewares, Small Electrics, Toys, and Music. For a short time, I had Bedding, Bath, Window Coverings and Rugs. It was impossible to keep up with everything. I was also supervising upwards to 35 people between 3 stores. That was the thing about Belk. You wore a lot of hats. I was a buyer, supervisor, ad writer, visual producer, loss prevention assistant, and whatever else came up. So, I had to have an assistant. A right hand. Someone who could tell me what I had done the day before. Someone who could remember what I had said. So, there could be some consistency. There were two people that I depended on--Vicki Fortner and Paige Keene. Vicki and Paige helped me get through days and not look like an idiot. There were many days where they reminded me what I had done the day before. They also kept me grounded. After all, if I got recognized by my boss for buying something that sold through the roof, like Tummy Toners, and I got a lot of praise, Vicki or Paige would let me know that it wasn't me that made Tummy Toners successful. It was them--the sales people and the customers. They both went on to other things. Paige got married and has two beautiful children. Vicki is successful in finance. Thanks guys. I couldn't have done it without you.