A Smile and a Shoeshine

A Smile and a Shoeshine

Noel Laflin

August 13, 2014

Playwright Arthur Miller wrote four famous lines, three years before I was born.

Now, before you attempt to do the math as to what year that might have been, let me save you the effort and tell you that it was a long time ago.

But despite the fact that they were written concurrent with the Truman Administration, I think that you’ll agree with me that they still hold up.

Listen closely:

“For a salesman, there’s no rock bottom to the life.

He don’t put a bolt to a nut, he don’t tell you the law or give you medicine.

He’s a man way out there in the blue riding on a smile and a shoeshine.

A salesman is got to dream boy, it comes with the territory.”*

I love those four lines as they so accurately describe the last 38 years of my life.  Although I swore, upon graduation from both high school and later college, that I would never take a job that required the wearing of a suit and tie nor would said job ever be in the field of sales … well, that’s exactly what happened.  I think the gods love irony.

 

Despite all of that, it has been my distinct privilege to have worked in the field of clinical laboratory sales for most of these past four decades.  I have made a lot of friends, learned a thing or two in the world of medicine and persevered in accepting both the highs and lows of trying to make a difference in folks’ lives.  It all came with the territory.

Now, let me let you all in on a little secret: for the longest time I always had this nagging feeling that I was ill-prepared for this profession.  To steal a quote from a former boss, who also admitted freely that he too knew nothing about the lab world when he first started, he’d frequently remind newcomers with the line, “I was so green, I couldn’t even spell CBC.”

Well, that pretty much applied to me for the first twenty years or so.  However, I kept that secret to myself.  Like the protagonist in Miller’s play, I many times left the house riding forth with nothing more than ‘a smile and a shoeshine.’  Anyone in sales knows what I’m talking about.

But, I learned enough to get by.  Over time I grew.  And, given even more time, I found myself eventually instructing new recruits, those who had metaphorically run away from home to join our circus. 

I could never have succeeded in lasting this long had it not been for the people around me, however.  And, I hope you’ll forgive me for quoting a line from a play even older than the last; that would be from “Harvey,” – you know, the one made famous by Jimmy Stewart and his invisible six-foot rabbit friend.  They liked to drink and philosophize together.  It’s pretty endearing.

In that play, and later movie, Elwood P. Dowd - the nicest guy in the world - confides in a psychiatrist with the following advice:  “Years ago my mother used to say to me, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart.  I recommend pleasant.  You may quote me.”

I always tried to make that my mantra when it came to interacting with any of my colleagues, clients, friends or family.  And, if I failed in the simple act of human kindness, day-in or day-out, well, what else would really matter in the long run?

But, it’s now time to close out this long and interesting chapter and move on to the next as retirement is nearly upon me. Although I sampled it – retirement that is – just four years ago, I find that it may really stick this time.  Family and friends tend to think it will suit me just fine - and so do I. To quote a good friend, also recently retired, “I’m going to let the universe be my guide.” Fair enough advice.  But, I remember how the gods do love irony.

Sleeping-in will be a first start.  Getting in some serious writing, reading, photography and garden time is next on the agenda. Visiting a lot of old friends and lending a hand where I can - or deciding to take off at an unplanned moment’s notice just to capture a thunderstorm raging atop Mt. San Jacinto will all be inviting prospects. I intend on sampling all of these and a hundred more.  In addition, there are weddings to officiate, old coins to track down, short and hopefully longer stories to be written, rivers to be run and travels to be made. Who knows what the future holds?  I have no clue for sure. But I am certain of one thing - I will always try to be pleasant while engaged in all of these endeavors.  It aces smart every time.

 

Oh, and I think I finally figured out how to spell CBC.  And, I even guessed the acronym.  If you never knew – (now gather close) - it really means: Civility Beats Cleverness.  And some folks thought it just had something to do with blood counts. 

Many thanks to those of you who helped keep me smiling throughout various stages of this ride ‘way out there in the blue.’ Those friendships continue to be the best commission any old salesman could ask for.  Who knew that it would also come with the territory?

And on that note, I’m definitely going to keep the smile but retire the shoeshine in favor of flip flops and a good pair of hiking boots.

Gotta go now.  There’s a very tall rabbit offering to buy me a drink and philosophize for just a bit.

It would be rude not to accept.

*Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, 1949