Though I've had three-years to recover from my last shift behind the counter at Tremont Paint, a need to return to THE Bronx still triggered a day filled with emotions.
First among them, road rage!
Recently, the stretch of Interstate 95 which passes through my hometown of Stamford, Connecticut, was named the most congested travel corridor in the United States, though it wasn't the traffic which brought THE tears.
Raised in the same region of New York’s metropolitan area I still call home, my drive to my former store remains a patchwork of shortcuts taught to me by my father.
Each turn a reminder of his absence from my life.
Those emotions and a frustrating drive reminder enough to be grateful that this day's grind was no-longer my daily.
Though 30-years delivering and selling paint in New York did leave me parallel parking skills worthy of flexing.
In my blog last week I again referenced unethical practices by Sherwin-Williams chief executive John Morikis.
THE post garnering a response from THE company, though it didn’t come from chief executive!
Rather it came from a flood of new followers, all with one thing in common.
Hey! I'm Talkin' to You!
Common in my experience are random calls or texts from independent paint retailers, paint manufacturers and sundry suppliers looking for guidance.
So it’s the conversations which require an NDA which tend to be the most interesting!
As was the case recently when THE document led to an engrossing conversation which tested the limits of my chemical and technical acumen.
And if word of THE topic ever gets spoken, you’ll hear it here first!
Follow THE Rules
With a three-hour round-trip to my former store necessitated by just a few minutes of on-site work, I looked for other ways to make my journey to the Bronx worth THE effort.
Slipping my drone into my backpack I contemplated opportunities along my route. The Hudson Valley's bursting spring are more suitable for droning than the inhospitable Bronx.
As a recreational pilot I’m forbidden from droning over unprotected people and moving vehicles, making the skies over the Bronx a challenge to fly, particularly for a pilot of modest skills.
But there’s a landmark in the south Bronx which is bounded on two-sides by parks; THE absence of cars and people allowing for enough unrestricted airspace to get a picture worthy of both the time and emotions of the day.
But ya gotta know where to park!
