I was just getting her set up when Crabs come around to tell me I was wanted in the office.
There was a new fella behind the desk, a kid. He told me Butler Amusements was taking me off the wheel and putting me on the kiddie-boats. There had been complaints, he said. I should consider myself on probation, he said.
I been with this outfit on and off for twenty-three years, summer and winter. Hell, I was here before Butler was Butler, just a tin-horn operation of three or four carneys.
Back then, everybody drank on the job some.
Great voice, Josh
Being a carney is just not what it used to be..
Can’t even be drunk no more! Where’s the fun in that?
Dear Josh,
I agree with Neil. Great voice. But you do have a knack for that. Love this.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Great voice, really good build-up to the “reveal.”
As everyone else has said, the voice is excellent; I can clearly hear the man’s whining tone. Going back to the seventies, all sorts of people drank when working. In fact, on business it was often difficult to avoid drinking at least a pint of beer at lunchtime. Thank goodness things have changed!
Yep, but times change. I wonder if he’ll be able to change with them… nice one!
Yeah, the drinking… Peer pressure can be partly to blame, especially in these cases. Would have been nice if someone had offered help. But would he have accepted it, accepted change? A great voice, as others have said, and so much revealed about a life.
I remember those times! Great take.
They always gotta change a good thing. What’s wrong with peeps?
Loved this and could just hear them.
Young management and their rules. So what you drank a little, no one got hurt did they? You will do fine with boats. Nice story.
As others have said – great voice Josh. Felt I was there – great writing. People just drank back then – so what ? It was normal.
Alcoholism was always alcoholism, but I think people were more apt to cover it up. The chances are that the old boss was also a drunk. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Terrific voice. I can almost picture him.
That has a very distinctive voice to it. I can almost picture him in carny garb, maybe a flask tucked in his back pocket. Great job.
Cider was the drink of choice for the farm workers in the 18th century because the water was so crap, which come to think of it is irrelevant to this story, but was a great take, its political correctness gone mad!!
I don’t know. Having a drunken ride operator is probably not the best idea ;-)
Great voice. I feel he is not ready to accept that he has a problem with alcohol.
Love the voice and the understatement. The last line is great.
Thanks
Always a great voice in your wrting and this is no exception. I always worry about ebing strapped into a ride by a bored looking ten year old. That’s happened a few times over the years. Great story