How The Butcher Became My Friend

After my stroke six years ago, I recovered from the light paralysis quickly and soon went back to my regular routine at the Y, working mainly on the treadmill trying to rebuild speed, stamina and gait. I was still having some dizzy spells, but nothing too bad until August 12, 2013. I was on the treadmill when without warning I veered to the left. It only lasted a second, but I hit the stop button and quit for the day. I got to my car and sat for a minute, deciding I felt okay, and went on to the Fareway as planned.

I was at the meat counter, waiting while Jim (I only knew his name because it was written on his hat) filled my order. Suddenly I started feeling faint and knew I was going to pass out. "Do you have someplace I can sit down?" I asked him. He saw at a glance I was in trouble and stacked a couple milk crates for me to sit on. He wanted to call 911, but I told him I was recovering from a stroke and still had dizzy spells. "Would you call my husband for me?"

Bud came. I insisted on finishing my shopping so he transferred the things from my cart into the wheel chair cart, we checked out and went home. By afternoon I was fine. We went back so I could drive my car home.

On my next shopping trip to Fareway I again profusely thanked Jim for his help. Over the years, he never failed to smile and ask, "How are you? along with "What can I get for you?" He never made it sound like he was alluding to that day in August and I never acted like it was anything he didn't ask all his customers. Yet, once in awhile I felt we were both remembering that day. It wasn't a bond, but it was a connection.

From time-to-time we would visit a bit more. He told me as a teenager he had started working for Fareway in LeMars, because his Mom worked there. I told him we had moved to Creston after we retired because we had both been born in the hospital here (though we grew up around Corning) and decided we might as well (most likely) die here. I remember at least once telling him how much I appreciated his help that August day.

Then in January, I think we were talking about age for some reason, he mentioned that he would be 62 in May and was going to retire. May 31st, to be exact - his 62nd birthday. I told him that would be my daughter's 50th birthday. I asked what his retirement plans were and he told me that he and his wife wanted to move to an acreage and had looked at one northeast of Creston but decided to build their retirement dream home on the edge of Lenox because it was closer to Kansas City where their three children live.

His retirement party at the store was scheduled for yesterday and I knew there would be a lot of his customers/friends there, so I went in Tuesday to wish him well. He waited on me, asked if there was anything else and I said, "Well I do have a favor to ask, would you mind having a picture with me?" So we posed with the last package of meat he would be wrapping for me (a pound and half of Fareway's own ground beef for meatloaf) and I told him once more how I would never forget how he helped me six years ago - how much it meant to me even though he would do the same for anyone. I got a little teary eyed and so did he. Jim then shared his philosophy of living by being a good person and doing what he could to brighten the lives of others.

I will miss his brand of old fashioned customer service. I truly wish him a very long and happy retirement.

I didn't even know his last name until I read it in the paper, so I debated about referring to this kind man as a friend, then I remembered that old saying: "A friend in need is a friend indeed".