Beauty and the Boss Man

Dad will turn 83 on January 22nd. I remember back when I graduated from high school, he became either boss man or part-time boss man of the mechanic department of the mines.  I was going to vocational school in Thelma and it was after the Christmas holiday when we returned back to the center. I dressed myself up to look my best, just to see what kind of reaction I would get from everybody there.

When Dad took me back to the center, he thought because I had two suitcases he would take them in for me. When we entered the lobby to pick up my room key, it seemed to me like everybody around there got upset over his size. If I remember correctly some of the boys were whistling at me.  I remember one of the dorm ladies saying, "Look at this!" when I picked up my key.

Dad took my suitcases over to the elevator and left. I went up to my room and got into something more comfortable.  I went back downstairs to the lobby and sat down to play some Rook.  A girl came up to me saying, "Sherry, who was that guy that came in here with you?"

The Boss Man Photos

I said, "My dad."

She said, "It was her dad!" I also heard echoes saying, "It was her dad" about three or four times.

While I was sitting there playing Rook, the security guard, Andy, I think he was the head guard cause he was the toughest looking one of them, came over to where I was sitting.  Andy said, "Sherry, was that your dad that came in here with you?"

I looked right up at him and said, "Yes, it was." We stood there for at least a whole minute or longer looking at each other right in the eyes.

Then he finally broke out and said, "Well, I am going to take your word on it, that was your dad." While I was still sitting looking right at him, he said, "I have to admit you brought him in here..."  If I remember correctly, he was afraid to complete the sentence.

When he left I was wondering what on earth was going on around there while I was up in my room. Later it came to my mind that some of the people there might have never seen a coal miner before. If that was their problem, they got upgraded, that was the boss man.

Posted by Sherry