Life lessons learned early |
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Jane D. O'Donoghue at the "Tru Foto"
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January 2012
By Jane D. O'Donoghue
PRIME Guest Columnist
Recently I wrote about Christmas shopping at Kresge's 5&10 in 1937. This old building at the corner of Bridge and Main Streets in Springfield was razed and another bigger and brighter one opened the following October, 1938.
Through the years, we stopped for a soda or an ice cream at the marble countered units, or the tea room for lunch. An in-store bakery supplied tasty cakes, doughnuts, and other seasonal delights. We listened to the piano player who now sat on a raised platform in front of large plate glass windows. "Tru Foto" photo booth had a new location in the store and my cousin Rita still worked there. Next to this was a bank of telephone booths that saw constant use.
In the basement, a beauty parlor emitted strange odors, and women sat under permanent curling machines with wires attached, looking something like Frankenstein's bride. We might purchase some goldfish or a painted turtle, and it was off to the back, where a shoemaker could replace heels in 15 minutes while you waited. Many of the usual goods were available throughout the store.
In 1943, this became my home away from home as my sister and I were hired as part-time waitresses for after-school work. World War II was on, and we teens were in demand. This was our first experience as waitresses and we learned well and fast.
We raced down from Cathedral High School, donned our starched uniforms, tied on a clean apron and tucked our long hair into nets. This was topped with a small cap. Our hours were from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and all day Saturday.
We learned that men like beef stew, apple pie, and do not want lettuce on their ham sandwiches. Although we wrote our orders on a pad, it was a challenge to remember who ordered what. We found that making milkshakes could be fun and sundaes topped with whipped cream could be creative. As sugar was scarce due to the war, we spooned it into the cups as ordered by the customer. Ice cream also was at a premium and we often substituted sherbet.
Lessons in patience were prime as we smiled and tried to appease those who were on limited breaks for lunch. Sometimes, the sandwich board and steam table workers got behind on orders and we had to deal with the customers. Another skill learned was how to count the customer's change back from the payment of their tab.
After a year as a waitress, I was offered the opportunity to work at the photo booth. The busy place offered "Four poses for 25 cents". This was my delight as I learned how to pose people, and to develop the strips of pictures in the miniscule dark room. We hand painted them for an additional charge. Routinely, the developing chemicals had to be replaced with fresh ones as the odor could become overwhelming.
More lessons learned. People can be vain. They also can be rude and it takes a little tact and courtesy on the part of the worker to appease them. When dealing with this, we might point to the logo on our smock, which said "Tru Foto", the name of the concession. This might bring a smile if the complainer realized the image really did resemble them.
Often lines formed as teens desired pictures to share with friends, and airmen from Westover wanted some to send home. We worked quickly and tried to smile and be as friendly as possible to put the customer in a good mood for a pleasant picture. We could squeeze two into the booth, change the background, and even take photos for passports.
Working part time at the "Five and Ten" taught me many skills and attitudes to carry into future employment and the ability to deal with others. I knew the importance of reporting for work faithfully and on time. People are different and I needed to account for that. We can laugh and enjoy our responsibilities. Workers can be friends and not always competitors. Lastly, there is a satisfaction of being rewarded financially for our efforts, even if it was only 33 cents an hour. That was our starting wage in 1943 and we appreciated it.
Jane D. O'Donoghue is a Hungry Hill native and retired school librarian. Her writing has appeared in local and regional publications.
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