High School: The Liquor Cabinet

Ever since I was very young, I have operated with the concept that work is essential. My father didn't "give" me an allowance; he told me to do some chores (wash dishes, clean and do on) and in return, I made a dollar a week (in those days, a dollar was a lot of money). It was very rare indeed that I received money without having to perform something in return.

As I entered high school, my parents had concluded that it was critical for me to actually be working in the real world. I am sure they wanted to get me prepared for life (and a job is absolutely essential to living for most people), and I also would imagine that they understood that my requirements for life had increased and they could no longer be my main source of income.

At first I was resistant, not because of any objection about working but because a job meant that I had to extrovert. I was becoming quite an introvert and much preferred to read a book or build a model to going to a party or attending some social event.

My father didn't ask me if I wanted a job; he simply told me he would help me find one. At his prompting, I worked a day here and a day there without finding anything permanent.

On weekend my parents brought me down to a place called The Liquor Cabinet in Lake Arrowhead Village, saying there was a position available.  My dad apparently had talked to the managers about my abilities.   I'm sure the manager agreed to take me on as a favor to my dad, and didn't expect me to last very long. 

I dressed up in my best clothes and was driven down to the store for the interview. I met the owner, who was an intimidating, fat old German man and his wife. Their names were Bill and Jerry Gantgen. Bill interviewed me for about ten minutes, and hired me on the spot. He told me to begin the next day, and said I would be making $1.50 an hour. At that age (with no responsibilities or bills) that seemed like a lot of money so I said that would be fine. Besides, I didn't really have any choice in the matter.

The first day was very interesting, as it was my first taste of retail sales work. My job that day was to move boxes of soda from the back into the cooler. It was a hot summer day, so that took most of the day. That was hard work, and I came home exhausted.

The weekend after I started I had a stroke of luck (although it didn't seem that way at the time). One of my co-workers was late one day and wound up getting fired on the spot. He argued with Bill about something, and he was immediately fired. With that act, my job became permanent, and at the same time I learned that Bill required obedience. The boss had power and was not afraid to use it.

For the next two years I worked in that store. I learned how to keep the shelves stocked, how to order, how to work the cash register and how to break apart boxes for the trash. It was a very physical job, in that it required lots of tearing, hauling and stacking. It was also a very boring job, since it didn’t require the use of a brain at all.

Bill was a very interesting man. He claimed to be an ex-German U-boat captain. Sometimes he talked about his experiences in the Atlantic, usually after he had a bit too much to drink. His experiences were very painful to him. He told about how he sank British and American ships, about how he would surface afterwards and sink all of the lifeboats. He seemed to agonize over these painful memories.

At first I worked with a man named Don, who worked as manager of the store. He did all of the ordering, except for wine, which Bill ordered himself. I worked for Don for about a year, until he married one of the other people working at the store and moved to Downey. Before he left, he wrote me a very nice letter of recommendation, which I’ve included below.

I had several interesting experiences on that job. For example, one night someone threw a bottle through the window. I called the police, but they didn’t do anything because I didn’t see anyone.

On one occasion I accidentally sold a case of beer to a seventeen year-old. He claimed he was 22, and I didn’t check his identification. He got drunk on the beer, and the police picked him up. The cops gave me a good scare. They told me I could have gotten fined $500 or even been put in jail. Fortunately, the young man kept his mouth shut about where he purchased the beer. The police couldn’t prove where he bought it from, so they just hassled me a bit.

One day, when it was snowing very hard, I decided I had to stay home and help my dad dig out his car. Dad said he wasn’t feeling well, and asked me to help. I called Bill and told him I couldn’t make it to work that day. Bill hit the ceiling! He told me if I didn’t show up I could find a new job. After a few minutes of thought, I told Bill I’d be in. I was enjoying the money and associated freedom too much to give it up.

The worst day of the year was New Year Eve. The crowds were terrible. I remember hundreds of people lined up outside to the store to purchase liquor. For hours and hours people came into the store in a never-ending stream. They finally thinned out after 9:00 PM, so Bill and Jerry went home.

This turned out to be a temporary thinning, however. Thirty minutes after they left, the crowds returned. I worked the entire place all by myself for the next two hours. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and called Bill. He told me to close early and go home.

Eventually Bill and Jerry closed the store. They were forced to, as the village was being torn down. There were plans to rebuild it with hundreds of shops, a parking structure and a MacDonald’s. I was laid off, and looked for work elsewhere.

I learned a lot during my two years working at the Liquor Cabinet. The main lesson was that I enjoyed working (even menial labor) and valued a steady paycheck. I also came to understand that the boss was of critical importance, and keeping him happy was essential for a smooth life. I also gained the confidence and understanding that I could do just about anything, whether or not it was pleasant or regardless of my own personal desires. I could handle an ex-U-Boat commander and his wife, a drunk on New Years Eve and manage the night shift at a liquor store. That was quite an accomplishment.