How The Wonder Bread Delivery Guy
Reminded Me that Attitude Trumps All
For years, the Wonder Bread brand had a stock line in all its advertising: "helps build strong bodies 12 ways." If you grew up in the '60s or '70s, you couldn't have missed it. I hadn't given a thought to that line in years, at least not until this morning, when I was walking into a drug store to pick up my morning newspaper. The snow was coming down fairly hard, with predictions that the temperatures would plunge severely today, leaving it in the single digits by night. Just the kind of weather that tends to prompt strangers to exchange bits of gallows humor as a coping mechanism.
As I entered the store, I nodded hello to the Wonder Bread delivery guy, who was unloading product from his truck. I hadn't recalled ever seeing him before, but even a casual glance from the corner of one's eye suggested there was something extraordinary about his body language. He seemed to be relishing his work, and was wearing one of the widest grins I've ever seen. He returned my greeting with such an infectiously joyful greeting of his own that it left me grinning too. "Beautiful day, isn't it?" he bellowed, his grin growing even wider. This is a man who no doubt spreads positive energy to at least a few dozen people each day, no matter the weather or whatever other challenges they might face. His product may or may not build stronger bodies, but his infectious joy for life certainly has caused me to look at things just a little differently today.
8 Comments:
I always hope to be that kind of person - but am usually too busy thinking about what to put on my blog....
Yes, Diane, I'm afraid writers tend to be more interior types, and generally less effusive personalities (which is why we probably notice folks like this more readily). At least that's true generally speaking. I can certainly think of a couple exceptions, though.
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Judging by your lack of girth, I'm guessing you copped fewer free rolls than I might have in the same situation.
Funny, I hadn't thought of Great Harvest bread in years. I think those franchises have largely dried up in my area of the world. A locator on their website tells me there are still two in a 25 miles radius from my house.
I had a brief career as a truck delivery guy also, though very brief. I remember going down to a union hiring hall over one vacation with my buddy Mark Johnson and waiting till our names were called to ride shotgun with the cola delivery guy. It was hard work, but I loved it.
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I'm afraid Wonder Bread was probably a little more of a marketing phenomenon than a source of good nutrition.
What a sweet story!
P.S. The partially hydrogenated oils and all the preservatives probably made him a little loopy.
That is, if he eats his own product, as our boy TJ confesses he used to do with Great Harvest...
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