A Confession--50 Years Later!!!!

The mind is a wonderful, amazing and sneaky, tricky thing!! This afternoon I was having a snack (hot peach pie with a scoop of Dove's butter pecan ice cream--don't ask!LOL) when all of a sudden I saw myself as a very young man (in early 20s?) in my Dad's factory in the garment industry in NYC.

My father owned, designed, manufactured and sold a very successful children’s line of sportswear under the name of Millbrook. I had just returned from living in California and Florida, didn't have a job and went to work for him--that was a BIG mistake bit that's another blog.

I was suppose to learn the business from the bottom up and someday take over the business with my brother--that never happened and is also another blog! :O)

I was mainly a stock boy and helped out in the shipping department. I was fascinated by the men who would cut the garments out following a paper-thin pattern over a pile of expensive fabric.

One night, and I don't remember why, I was the last one working and after finishing whatever it was I was doing I decided that I would surprise everyone by cutting out the pattern left on the table and put them ahead of the work schedule for the next day.

I could never draw a straight line let alone guide a very heavy, bulky machine along all shapes of lines. Making a long story short I ruined thousands of dollars of expensive material. I quickly closed up the factory and, literally, ran to my apartment.

I didn't think anyone knew I was the last one left that night and made sure I came in a few minutes late so most of the crew was there. Of course everyone was talking about the ruined fabric and who had done it. I put on my big, convincing innocent act (and I was good at that!) and acted as concerned as everyone else once.

I don't know if my father knew I had done it--we never did talk about it--or if he, like his partner, thought that one of the young immigrant men who worked there had done it hoping to advance up to being a cutter.

It wasn't long after that my father and I had huge fight--I accused his partner of stealing from him, which he was, but my dad would not believe me and so I left the business which caused a life long estrangement between us.

In time I stopped feeling guilty about the cutting incident and just marked off the whole thing as the reason for my not staying in the business feeling justified because he wouldn't listen to me about his partner.

The mind does work in mysterious ways and why I should now think of that, 50 years later, and tell anyone about it for the first time--in a blog!!!--is beyond my comprehension---guess I'll go finish that pie and ice cream before I have dinner!