Been in the Army Long

 

A UPS driver making a delivery to a beautiful blonde

As I grabbed a parcel and jumped from my package car, I noticed an old gentleman wearing a tattered army fatigue jacket standing next to my car. The man was very old, had poor eyesight, obviously a retired world war two vet. He looked up at me in my brown uniform standing next to my brown vehicle and asked, “How long you been in the Army?”

I replied, “Just a few years,” and proceeded to walk into the bank. No further explanation was needed.

Gary has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.

His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.

He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.

He has published several books about his adventures.

For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.

Your comments are welcome

Boynton Canyon in Sedona Arizona

 

What Do I Do Now? UPS

A UPS driver making a delivery to a beautiful blonde

Written By: Gary Wonning

We normally delivered to the Ford Garage in Osgood from the alley that ran between Buckeye Street and Walnut Street, the next street west. Consequently, I would normally catch whatever houses I had parcels for that were across the alley from the Ford garage. This particular day two teenage daughters of the Baptist minister were sunbathing in their backyard, lying face down with their bikini tops unbuttoned. As I rushed across the back yard I noticed this peculiar circumstance and was in a quandary as what to do.

I tried to make some extra noise to alert them of my presence, but their radio was blaring from some teeny-bopper station and they never heard me. Getting closer, I sensed what was going to happen, but short of throwing a rock at them, I was at a loss as to what to do next.

The baby boomers and their impact on modern life

Finally, the inevitable happened, they spotted me and jumping up and grabbing their bikini tops, while letting out a blood curling scream. I handed one of them the clipboard and pen, politely asked her to sign for the parcel, and quietly slunk off into the horizon. With memories and illusions that would last a lifetime, I never saw either of them again.

Gary has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.

His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.

He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.

He has published several books about his adventures.

For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.

Your comments are welcome

Four mast Sail Boat

Peak Season Frustrations, UPS

Water Fall Gardens created and maintained for the people of Seattle by the ann Casey Foundation

Written By; Gary Wonning

One of my first years on the job, I arrived back at the center about five o’clock on Christmas Eve. I was looking forward to going home and enjoying the evening attending church and unwrapping gifts with my family. I hadn’t been home before dark for a couple of months.

Lying in the middle of the floor of the center were a stack of parcels about four feet tall. There had been a late feeder arrive in Indianapolis that morning and consequently the parcels had missed the morning sort. The parcels were unloaded and sent to the extended centers during the day, and were waiting for us when we returned.

We were to find anything in the stack that was on our delivery area and go back out and deliver them. Man, I would sooner get hit with a blivet stick than go back out there. My delivery area is thirty five miles south of here, and I live fifteen miles north. But I knew I couldn’t enjoy my Christmas if I knew there was a parcel for some little kid in that pile and he or she wasn’t going to be able to get it before Christmas.

Reluctantly, hoping against hope I began looking for something. Thankfully, I found nothing that was on my area. I did find a couple addressed to my home town, I picked them up, grabbed a couple of delivery sheets and headed off to Batesville in my pick-up truck, delivering them on my way home.

The forgotten gifts were all delivered that evening; some drivers didn’t get home until after nine pm.

A UPS driver making a delivery to a beautiful blonde

The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.

His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.

He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.

He has published several books about his adventures.

For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.

Your comments are welcome

Improve your health through essential oils and Isagenix.

Safety First At UPS

A UPS driver making a delivery to a beautiful blonde

Written By: Gary Wonning

Before a driver is set free on his own he must first undergo five days of driver training during which time a  driver supervisor rides with him every day and instructs him in not only correct delivery procedures but safe driving and safe work habits and practices as well.

I was a young know it all rebel and I decided I didn’t really have to follow all the rules. Joe Mulford, my center manager kept insisting in the necessity to back into a delivery stop before making the delivery. It was safer because the driver would have the big picture as he came to the stop and could see everything in the surrounding area, thus making it less likely he would unintentionally back into something. Plus, it would give the customer time to come to the door as they heard us backing into the driveway, thereby saving us time.

The Pilons, historic landmark in St. Lucia

For some reason, I decided this was a rule I didn’t need to follow and kept pulling into driveways. Finally, after maybe a half dozen of these deliveries, he suddenly yelled,”Stop, Stop, you just ran over a kid.”

He then proceeded to stand about a foot away from me and chewed my butt for about five minutes. It brought back visions of basic training at Lackland Air Force Base. I never pulled into a driveway from that day forward, I’ve  been retired for twenty years, I still don’t pull in.

The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.

His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.

He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.

He has published several books about his adventures.

For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.

Your comments are welcome

Improve your health through essential oils and Isagenix.

If Everyone Had To Pay For College, How Much Would It Cost?

Wisdom lost through the ages, common sense is no longer common.

Written By; Gary Wonning

A thought just occurred to me, if everyone had to pay their own way in college, what would it cost?

In today’s world, there are many opportunities to receive financial assistance to attend college, through scholarships, financial aid, grants, etc. These are all beneficial to those that qualify, enabling many to go to college and receive a degree in higher education.

There is a call from many to give a free college education to everyone, but is this the proper path to follow?

It sounds like a great idea at first thought.

But when one actually thinks about it, there are many flaws to this plan.

Many people don’t have the desire or need to attend college, and many honestly don’t have the mental capabilities to attend college, many need to pursue careers such as welding, electricians, plumbing and other careers that don’t require a college education, only trade school. Today, there are extreme shortages of people engaging in this type of profession, professions that often pay more than some careers that require a college degree.

Is it fair to make those who don’t attend college pay for those that do? Many would still have to pay their way to attend a trade school, should we require then them to also pay for those who attend Harvard through their tax dollars? Should someone who attends a state school also be required to pay for someone who attends Harvard?

If you chose not to attend college, should you have to pay for someone who does?

The students who attend college today through scholarships, grants, etc are still being subsidized by the taxpayer, who eventually pays their tuition through higher taxes. Is that fair?

How many come to this country on student visas, get student loans or a free education and never leave?

How much would college cost if no one got a free ride, what if all scholarships, grants etc were withdrawn, what if athletes had to pay their own way, what if student loans actually had to be repaid?

Then, what would a college education actually cost?

Costs are determined by supply and demand, the more free education is provided, the more the cost goes up because of a lack of supply and increased demand, thus those who have to pay, pay more.

The cost of all the students who receive a free or subsidized education is factored into the cost to those who pay their own way, as a result, the ones who work hard and pay their own way are subsidizing everyone else.

When I graduated from high school, the cost to attend a state college was about two thousand dollars, I admit that was many years ago when the cost of living was much lower, but at that time there were very few ways to receive a free education.

Life was a lot slower and simpler in the fifties and sixties.

If all the free rides were eliminated, and people actually paid back their student loans, would the cost be much higher than the two thousand dollars it cost many years ago, and even if the total cost  was a  little higher, wouldn’t it be better for everyone to pay their own way than having part of the population subsidize those who attend college? The way I see it if one goes to college and receives an education where he possibly can make more money than someone else, why should the person who makes less money pay for the education of someone who makes more?

It appears to me this is just another example of the poor subsidizing the wealthy. Aren’t the very people who believe they are looking out for the poor and disadvantaged, actually hurting the ones they are trying to help?

Aren’t the very people who believe they are looking out for the poor and disadvantaged, actually hurting the ones they are trying to help?

The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.

His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.

He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.

He has published several books about his adventures.

For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.

Your comments are welcome

Cruising on the high seas poster
by lifejourneysimages

The Early Days Of UPS

The plaque located on the exact spot where UPS first began operations

Written By: Gary Wonning

There were benefits to working at night. Naturally, living in Indiana, one is never far from a basketball hoop. No building is ever complete without one either inside or outside the building. Conveniently, in this situation, one was inside, so the night shift, which consisted of the mechanic and myself, always included at least one game of horse or one on one. Occasionally a driver or two would stop by and we could get a real game up.

In the early days things were pretty loose, our center manager normally was nowhere to be found and we were about eighty miles from Indianapolis, so most of the time we could operate under the radar. It was a time before time clocks. If a driver was running late due to a card game or he found a coon dog for sale, he could just write in the time he was supposed to be in instead of the time he actually returned, as long as he looked good on paper, nothing was said.

An oil for many uses

I remember one time a driver arrived back at the center and cautiously asked if any management was around, once the porter answered there wasn’t, he proceeded to unload two calves from the back of his car. Another time a driver was seen unloading some live chickens, not to mention the time a motorcycle was spotted being off loaded. Ah, those were the days.

They ended way too soon.

A UPS driver making a delivery to a beautiful blonde

The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.

His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.

He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.

He has published several books about his adventures.

For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.

Your comments are welcome

 

Retirement Bag Tag

by lifejourneysimages

It’s Gotta Be The Shorts:Dealing With Unions

 

A UPS driver making a delivery to a beautiful blonde

Written By; Gary Wonning

All UPS employees were required to join the Teamsters Union. I had never been a strong union person but it wasn’t a real big issue for me until the following year. In 1968 there was a major strike at the largest industry in Batesville Indiana.

Some issues needed to be resolved and bordered on being inhumane. The company was unbending and left with little choice, the union called a strike. It was a relatively small union and most employees didn’t belong to it.

At the time, judging by the way everything all came down, I thought the union saw this as an opportunity to make a name for themselves.

It got ugly real quick. Hench men were soon cavorting around in the late evening hours shooting at and dynamiting homes of management and others who decided to work. It was common to hear gunfire and explosions as darkness fell, and late into the night.

My dad worked at the company as an hourly employee, he honored the strike and saw a need for it, and he never crossed the picket line. After about two weeks of this nonsense, he had enough, some of his friends’ homes were getting shot at.

He was one to never back down from anyone and out of a desire to not support something he didn’t believe in, he decided to go to work and support his friends and buddies. Many of these people who were getting shot at he had known all his life and were like family to him.

A neighbor lady decided to go back to work also. Dad had a little Corvair at the time, so for whatever reason, they decided to cross the picket line in that little car. Approaching the picket line, he floored the little bug and cranked the steering wheel as hard as he could and slammed on the brakes. He slid sideways through the picket line. Obviously, the picketers weren’t too happy as they scrambled out of the way of the tiny missile.

I was not living at home anymore, but a couple of nights later, my parents’ home was hit with gunfire, some of which went through the living room picture window and became lodged in the wall. If someone had been in the room they could have been killed.

My little brother, who was fourteen at the time, went to get the mail at the end of the driveway the next day and picked up something lying by the mailbox. Not knowing what it was he brought it in the house, it was three sticks of unexploded dynamite.

My opinion of unions declined rapidly and I even considered quitting so I didn’t have to belong to an organization that tried to kill my family.

I decided to stick it out, my quitting wouldn’t solve anything and it was a good job. I didn’t belong to the same union that created the havoc; I would just handle the union issues on my own and not support them any more than I had to. I soon learned to solve my issues on my own, like my dad had taught me when I was a small whippersnapper.

I soon learned that in most cases the only people they really helped were the ones who were looking for a reason to need the union, and in many cases only protected the jobs of those who should have been fired.

The only time we ever saw a union representative was before a political election. They would drive the two hundred miles from Chicago and tell us how to vote. We would then tell them we knew how to vote and gave them directions back to Chicago.

I did make good money and enjoyed excellent benefits, but UPS paid top wages and benefits before the union became involved. They paid top dollar, even during the depression. Their belief was that they would pay good money, but they asked for a good day’s work in return. I see nothing wrong with that.

And I knew, if things ever turned ugly, the union would do the same thing that happened in Batesville in 1968.

In the end, people who work for a large corporation need some sort of representation, conflicts do come up, and for now the union seems to be the only answer, and I did benefit from having a union job.

As with everything in life, there are good points and not so good points.

Wisdom lost through the ages, common sense is no longer common.

The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.

His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.

He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.

He has published several books about his adventures.

For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.

Your comments are welcome

UPS Dress Codes

The Road Less Traveled

Written By: Gary Wonning

UPS has always had a very strict dress code. They wanted everyone to look neat and professional. I agree, I don’t particularly want someone coming to my door that looks like a bum, besides being a little creepy, it’s not professional.

Of course, the brown uniform was required. We also had to have short haircuts, no hair could touch the collar, no facial hair, except a mustache, the facial hairs couldn’t fall below the mouth, brown or black shoes, and brown socks. We did fudge on the brown socks and went with white, much to the dismay of the company.

It is just too hot for brown socks in the summer.

In the early days, they required us to wear a plastic brown bow tie in the winter and what we called a bus driver hat.

When I first became a UPS driver, (Parcel Redistribution Specialist), baseball hats were becoming the norm, but they still wanted us to wear the bus driver hat (straight out of the 40s) and bow tie in the winter. That really didn’t bode well with anyone, we would put the tie on until after we left the building and then take it off until we returned in the evening.

The bow ties and silly hat soon faded off into the sunset; can you imagine us wearing those bow ties, bus driver hat,and sexy shorts? Yeah, me neither.

ENJOY THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A PARCEL REDISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST

A UPS driver making a delivery to a beautiful blonde

The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.

His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.

He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.

He has published several books about his adventures.

For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.

Your comments are welcome

The plaque located on the exact spot where UPS first began operations

 

Jim Casey

 

100 years of service

Written By: Gary Wonning

Jim Casey was a remarkable man and went to the office every day of his life until just before his passing at the ripe old age of ninety-five. He consistently gave credit to his mother, Annie E. Casey, for holding their family together after Jim’s father died. As a youngster delivering packages on the Seattle streets, Jim Casey had been exposed to the excesses of a bustling city in the midst of the Klondike Gold Rush. He credited the guidance of a strong mother and support of his family with keeping him grounded.

The UPS story.

A UPS driver making a delivery to a beautiful blonde

 

The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.

His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.

He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.

He has published several books about his adventures.

For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.

Your comments are welcome

Improve your health through essential oils and Isagenix.

None of the Modern Conveniences, UPS

 

The plaque located on the exact spot where UPS first began operations

Written By: Gary Wonning

I arrived at the UPS Center, and my doubts increased. The building was old, all the doors were open, and snow was blowing in and the drivers were sorting their parcels on a wooden table covered with dance wax to make them slide easier. I decided to proceed; it couldn’t get any worse than this. It didn’t help when I announced I was applying for a driving job and a couple of drivers looked at me as if I was crazy.

The thought even crossed my mind that maybe I should have my sanity checked by stopping to see a shrink on the way home.

Somehow I knew I was going to get the job. Be it instinct or a gut feeling, I just knew.

The Life and Adventures of a Parcel RedistributionSpecialist

A UPS driver making a delivery to a beautiful blonde

The author has been a writer/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, as well as studying native cultures.

His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.

He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.

He has published several books about his adventures.

For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.

Your comments are welcome

Improve your health through essential oils and Isagenix.

A perfect description of middle age round clock
by lifejourneysimages