“Your dad is a G-Man?” “An honest-to-goodness G-Man?” “Wow! I never met anyone who even knew a G-Man, but I know you and your father is one!” “Does he carry a gun?” “Does this mean he is a spy?” “Is your family ever in danger because of his work?”
On and on the comments poured from a small group of college freshmen as we sat around getting to know one another. The question at hand was, “What is your father’s occupation?”
When it was my turn to speak, I explained to them that my dad had been in his line of business for as long as I could remember, he did not carry a gun and was not considered to be a spy. As for our family being in danger, the subject never came up.
The conversation went on for quite some time – what they thought about G-Men, did all G-Men do the same kind of work, how they would feel if their dads were in that line of work, would they be afraid something could happen, etc. Most were very happy their dads were just ‘regular’ guys, but a few thought having a “G-Man” dad could be interesting and exciting. The next question they asked was, “What was behind your dad’s decision to become a “G-Man?”
Well, our town did not have one and the need was quite evident. After doing due diligence and discussing it with my mom, both decided it would be the best thing to do – for the town and for them. My dad became a “G-Man” when he started the first sanitation business in our town. “G(arbage)-Man”!! He definitely was an honest-to-goodness “G-Man!”
His business was very successful; servicing most of the businesses, restaurants, and private homes in our town. It was hard work, honest work, and he was reliable. His two sons worked with him for several years and it was always a big treat when Dad would let me go in the truck with him. He paid me one penny for each box I could stack! I hasten to add, the boxes were small, empty cardboard boxes. This was not child labor – it was just plain fun for me – and my take-home pay may have been a dime, but I was one happy little kid! Also, in the things that matter most in life – spending time with my dad mom, and my brothers, I was very rich. I was a millionaire! Perhaps even a billionaire!
Copyright © 2021 Judy McKinney The Written Word All Rights Reserved.
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