Frank J. Buchman

Cowboy • Horseman • Writer

Childhood Job Creates Friendships

“Free Delivery Twice Daily.”

That declaration came to mind as we were loading and unloading boxes of a sports publication distributed by our radio station.

There was vague semblance of what we did while growing up. Buchman’s Grocery was our family business that offered the fore-quoted service used by many customers.

While we stayed with Grandma in her apartment above the store sometimes, we were generally helping out somehow in the store from babyhood on. As soon as we could walk, we went twice daily with Dad delivering groceries, leaving at 10:30, for the morning route, and 5 o’clock in the evening.

Dad pulled up to the door, we’d run into the customer’s kitchen like we owned their home, smile, exclaim: “Thank you, call again,” and were back in the panel wagon, anxious for the next stop. After starting school, we still helped deliver every evening, Saturdays, and all summer.

With more deliveries in the morning, the number  of houses  varied according to day of the week. We’d sometimes have more than 50 stops on Saturday, because the store was closed Sunday.

Often, we’d have to take four loads Saturday, usually also with a half dozen boxes in the luggage carrier on top. Wednesday was the slow day, with only seven or eight deliveries in the morning, and  just a couple in the evening.

When new employees were hired for delivering, we always went with them, because we knew all of the customers, and where they lived. As soon as we got a driving learners permit, we took complete charge of delivering, although we had to have an adult with us until we got a regular license.

Size of individual deliveries varied from half a carload when our customers had four or five children, to as little as a package of cigarettes. We never turned down an order. Not many moms worked back then, but for the few who did, we’d put perishables in their refrigerator.

Every customer was our friend, and we smile as we think of the literally hundreds of them more than four decades later.

Reminds us of Isaiah 60:15: “Doors will always be open for receiving deliveries from the delivery boy.”  So, Romans 12:16:  “Make friends with everybody.” Because, Proverbs 3:15: “Friends are worth far more than money in the bank.”

+++ALLELUIA+++

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