First Jobs

My first job was working at a motel called the Jamie Bee, helping my Mom, clean the rooms. I loved helping her. I would run the trash out to the dumpster. I'm thinking that's probably why she let me work with her. I was only 14 at the time. A woman's basket ball team stayed there while I was working there.. They were called "The Redheads". And they definitely all had bright red hair and the towels in all their rooms were partially bright red also.🤣 My mom washed them and gave them back the bright red stained towels to use. They were like the Harlem Globetrotters. They did tricks to the other team members and fun things with the audience. Lynn Thomas, who played from 1971 to 1973 said "The red hair – from Clairol 33 – was part of the team’s signature look, too, and “she called it Bozo red,”. “If you didn’t rinse it out and then played and sweated, that red dye would run down your face.” I worked there through the summer. when school started I got my work permit and started working at the Malco Tri Cinema. I started out at $1.60 and hour. Call me a hillbilly, but I was in Hog Heaven. I loved working there. It wasn't long and I was head of the concession stand. Then they let me learn how to sell tickets. There was 2 women who were much older than us that sold the tickets every night. One was tall and skinny and the other short and chubby. I'll never forget that I saw my first interracial couple there. She was beautiful and he was very nice looking. I worked nights during the week and matinee's on the weekend. A few years go by and Im graduating a year early as I had enough points in all my subjects. I kept working there so I could pay for eveything associated with graduation. I got my high school graduation ring and I just had to wear it to show it off, until I lost in the popcorn machine. We never did find it and we often wondered who's bag of popcorn did it go into and why they didn't turn it in. My older sister Marsha worked as a cashier for Wyatts Cafateria. I got a job there busing the tables and then got moved up to fry cook. I still kept my job at the Movie Theater also. I was interested in buying my first car. Our Mom made us take a driving course at the University that was in Jonesboro. after that I got my first car. A 1968 Canary Yellow Camero with a manual transmission. Now I had never drove a stick shift before. I learned to drive on my Mom's Maverick. It was automatic transmission. My Dad drove it home after I bought it. when we got home lots of my friend were there to see it. My dad demonstrated all the gears to me and handed me the keys and he got in the passenger seat. We drove around all the blocks in the neighborhood. I had no problem handling that 3 speed shift. Just as we were getting near our driveway for me to park. Dad jumped in the back seat and was practically standing on his head. When I parked he climbed over the seat and out the door and announced to all there that it had been a very bumpy ride. 🤣 Excerpt from Kary Booer from her article https://mosportshalloffame.com/inductee-spotlight-all-american-red-heads/ "