Ashley: There we go, now it should (p) tape. All right, um…(paper rustling) Well, the first question is what is your name and where did it come from?
Vince: Ah, my name is, well my full name is Vincent Francis Michael Rewekant. My father, it’s more German than anything else. My grandparents came from Germany—my mother was born in the States, my father was born in the States. Umm, I guess I’m of German ancestry, really. (P) Umm, that’s about it, really.
A: Okay, Um…tell me about your family.
V: Oh, ah, let’s see! Well, I come from a pretty good-sized family. I’d ah, three brothers and three sisters, well actually I had four brothers, one (p) got killed in World War II. And uh, you know, we lived in a railroad apartment in Brooklyn, (p) and it was a little tight, but you know. I have one younger brother, but everyone else is older than I am. And, uh, my father passed away when I was nine. And so, you know, it was a little hard on my mother, so at 13 I went to work—to help—so then my sisters started getting married, and I… but yeah. Did you want to go into, like, just (p) the latter years or…
A: Oh, you can go into anything that you want to.
V: Well, all right. You see, like I said, I had one brother that was killed in World War II. I was born October 10 of 1941, and uh, I never knew him, never seen him, I was too young. I probably seen him but I was too young to remember. And I had another brother that fought in Korea and was wounded, (p) and my younger brother fought in Vietnam. And uh, he was a helicopter pilot, but he got out unscathed. Then my sisters, they all got married…well, I guess they were all, you know, between the ages of 20 and 23 when they got married. So, (sigh) it was, it was… After my father passed away, uh, I had, my older sister was already married…my oldest sister was already married. But I still, we still had, I had two sisters and three brothers still at home…and so, it was hard, I’ll tell ya. Because we had five rooms and that was it. So the dinning room was used, we, my mother put a, bought a, (p) one of those, I don’t know, it’s like a couch, but it’s not a, not sofa beds they got now, it’s one of those you just pull out and it becomes a bed. But we sort of had to spill around like that but yeah (smile). I don’t know, there’s some good memories about everything…but then my sister Marie got married, and that left my younger sister (well, she’s older than I am). And uh, that left us working all the time, and like I said when I was 13 I got a, during the summer months, I got a full time job. Being eight weeks I was off so I never knew what a real summer vacation was after that. (p) But, at the age of 17 when I graduated high school, I went into the service myself, but…it just so happed I was lucky I wound up between Korea and, um, the Vietnam war. The Vietnam War was just starting when I went, when I got out. (p) But, you know, we all worked hard and tried…we were never rich or anything, well, we had food on the table, clean cloths to wear, um hum. Yeah, it was nice. (Smile).
A: What branch of the service did you go into?
V: I went into the Air Force. And I spent four years; I went in in ’59, got out in ’63. (p) Two months, what was it, two months? Three months, let’s see, I got out…no, four months. I got out in July of ’63 and Kennedy was killed in November of ’63. It was so shocking. (p) But, um, I enjoyed it in the service. You know, going into the service is like going to college—the first few months are hard until you really get into it and used to it, and you meet new friends, I got homesick, too, but I was only 17, and… In fact I, you know, started to make friends with people, guess it was like, that’s where I belonged. Then I went to Korea for my last year, well, 13 months I spent over there (p). And it was nice over there; I got to see a different culture and everything. I was in Japan, then I, I was in Hawaii for a two weeks, I really liked it there. But they didn’t keep me there very long, so, well you know (smile). On the way back, when I came back from Korea, we landed in, um, Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. So, I had to stay there for a while, and I loved it up there, so… My future dream is to go on a cruise up there, but that’s after I retire from here. ‘Cause I don’t want to come back to anything. See, I just want to, I want to stay there for two months I want to stay, I don’t want to come back to a job or anything. But, uh, I really had a good time in the service. (P) But I, I think, the sad part was, I think that really got to me is that, when I did get out, I think it was a year or two later my mother got real sick. So, I was working for the post office at the time in New York, and uh, so I’d have to make her breakfast, she couldn’t move around. Then I had to wait for my brother, my one brother, he, my younger brother was in Vietnam at the time. That was the third one, and he and I was still living with her, but he worked nights, which was good, and I worked days. So, he got off at 6 in the morning and I had to be in at 8, so by 7 you know, he’d come home, but I’d already fed mom and everything…she’d probably be asleep when he got there…(p). So he could lay down and get his rest, you know. (P) But then about two years after, I think I was, what, 23? She passed away, too, so, you know…(P) We knew it was going to happen, but it’s still hard on people, even if you know…but, and, and with my father and… The only thing I really remember about my father is (p) that when he really got sick—he had cancer of the throat, he was a heavy smoker too (p) and uh, but he worked in like a steel mill, and uh—(p) The only thing I can remember about him was he, him taking me and my brother to the movies. And it used to be a nickel (smile). And we’d see five cartoons, a short selection, and two westerns. And it was (p) it was, it was fun, but (P) before he got sick I don’t think he took us anyplace until he really got sick. And like I said, that’s why I don’t believe I really knew him, because, like I said I didn’t really know what was happening when he passed away, neither. (p) All I knew was we were going to a funeral and I got a new suit and a tie…so. That’s about it for my brothers and sisters (p). They’re all happy. (p) Well, my oldest sister’s passed away; two of my older brothers have passed away, (p) so that leaves four of us left. We try to stay in touch, but (p) I’m more procrastinating than they are (laughs). But, nah, we have a good time when we do get together. I go up once every maybe four or five years, and I’ll spend a few days with them. But it gets to be a hassle for me, and…’cause you see I got so many nephews and nieces and great nephews and nieces that I have to travel all around New York State practically to see them. And…it just gets tiresome, cause I can’t spend two days here, two day’s there, I just can’t. So it’s easier for me if they know when I’m coming up, and everybody comes to one location and I’ll spend a few days there… But you know, and like, if you stay with one, the other one—well, you stayed with her, why don’t you come and see us while you’re here? We only live 50 miles down the road! (Laughs). Oh, okay, yeah… But that’s about it, I…(p) I think that’s about it on that subject, unless you want to know something else…
A: How about your family now?
V: Oh, like I said, (p) my oldest sister, she’s retired now. She’s um, she’s in her mid-seventies…um, yeah. (p). And she lost her husband a couple of years ago, so, it’s been hard on her… But she has a daughter and son…that take care of her. But she’s been having health problems, too, so… And she lives in Queens. She lives in a good neighborhood, which is what I like. Then my younger brother, he’s remarried. He’s got a boy and a girl, too, they’re married now, too, so… And he bought them a condo out in Long Island someplace, but… Him and his wife, they have money. Cause both of them work for the, um, New York City Parks Department, and both of them were way up in their job, I think…but he’s retired now. He’s, he’s only 55. I’m 60, and he’s retired. (Laughs). But, he was making $70,000 a year, and his wife was in the same position, almost, but in a different area—she was making $70,000. So, I guess they’re doing good. He’s still making more money than me retired (laughs). But that’s all right. See, I’m happy with what I’ve got. I, the way I am really is (P) I don’t ask for a lot of things, because I don’t expect a lot of things and I probably get a lot of things that I want in life. But (p) I’m just happy with what I’ve got. If I can live comfortably, pay the bills, and, you know, have nobody knocking on the doors say, well you owe me this, you owe me that, phone calls…I’m happy. I’ve got a car and a truck that’s paid for, the house is paid for, everything in the house is paid for, see…I just enjoy life, you know, that’s it. All right, let’s see, my other sister, she lives in Albany, New York, and she had, what was it, three girls? No, two girls and two boys, and they’re all married, too. I got a heck of a lot of grand nephews and nieces; I’ve never even seen some of them. But I heard a couple of them are getting married already, so…(Coughs). Well, I have one niece that’s 50 years old already, so… But (p) I guess they’re all doing all right, cause I never hear any complaints from them when I’m up there. They all married good. They have good husbands, and the guys married good ladies, and they really, like when I went up for my brother’s funeral, they seemed like they enjoyed themselves together, so I guess that’s what makes it…(P).
A: Um, okay (p) one of the other questions is, um, tell me about the jobs you’ve had.
V: Oh, you don’t want to know about that (laughs)!
A: (Laughs)
V: Ah, boy, let’s see. I was a waiter. I didn’t mind that. Except when the people were drunk…that’s the only time, I never did like that… But, then I worked for the post office. I enjoyed the post office. But I sort of went off the deep end with them and I quit… I, to this day I don’t know why. I’ve never figured it out. But then I had a job in a, New York has these department stores they called T.S.S. Stores. They had five big chains, well, five big department stores and four little ones and I worked in the design department and it was fun, I enjoyed that. Because, like, whenever they had, whenever Founder’s Day came, or, Thanksgiving or Easter or Christmas, well, Christmas was the big time…I’d be sent to the stores to help decorate the stores. And I enjoyed it cause I traveled around. I guess, I never did like being confined to one area. I think that’s maybe why I quit the post office, cause I had to stay in one area all the time and…(p) I just, I don’t know how to put it I, I get fidgety, I like to move around. But, that was a great job, I enjoyed that. But then I moved down here, and I worked for Pittser Transfer and Storage, which was a moving company, I worked for them for about four or five years, and I enjoyed that. It was hard work, but I did a lot of road traveling, and I saw a lot of the United States, and, I enjoyed that. But then, uh, what happened with that? I forget. I really don’t remember why I left there. I think I got tired of traveling, that’s what it was. Cause I, I just, I’d be gone weeks at a time, and usually when you had to go someplace you had to leave on a Saturday or Sunday to be there Monday, and I think that’s what got me. I never had much time to myself to socialize…(p) Where was I after that? (p) Ah, I went to a clothing manufacturer, well it’s no longer around, it was on Center Avenue before Coca-Cola took the whole area over, that was a good job. I was in charge of, a supervisor of shipping and receiving. I enjoyed that one, too, it was real fun, but… Oh, and I was a painter for a while, I owned my own contracting firm, but (p) my legs started to give out, so… I couldn’t do no more high work, and I said well, I’m going to have to let that go…(P) And then I came to Hollins College (laugh) and I found my home. When I got here, when I first got here, I knew this was the place I wanted to retire from. Cause (p) the people were so good to you, and, I don’t know, (p) and they were friendly, and I guess, that’s, that’s what I wanted to be, and I guess that’s why I’m still here, really. But, when I came here, things were harder, really, but they seemed like they weren’t so, um, how can I say, um, hectic, as they are now. But…we’d get into situations where, you know, we’d be backed up and the pressure would be really on us, but we always came through for some reason. When I fist started here, I was actually driving a truck. Which was a lot of fun, cause I met a lot of people. And, I don’t know, I just enjoyed being around the students, and then I got to, you know, get friendly with the faculty and administrators…I say hey, I’ve got problems but they’ve got problems, too. So, let’s all work together, and you know…And I’ve always had the highest respect for the students, and I used to get so angry when things were taken away from them. And I used to tell people, (laugh) and they’d say, Vince, you ought to get fired from here. And I said well, I don’t think it’s right, though, I’m not blind or anything, I’m just telling the truth. And if the truth hurts, I can’t help it. I think that’s what I liked the most…Hollins in a way has really changed my life around (p) I, I, at one point I think I was having an attitude problem, but I don’t have nothing like that no more. Na, I’m so happy around here. See, you, I things like I finally got to be an assistant supervisor (p) and then service master came and said they didn’t an assistant supervisor. So I went to Turner and I was happy there, I had the Riding Center and I was happy there…so…the only thing I didn’t like was moving to different buildings at that time. But then they said the Theatre and Art Annex was opening up, I said, is that an eight hour building, they told me yes, I said, I’ll take it! And hey here I am (laughs!). But, I love interacting with the students, it just, (p) I don’t know, it makes me feel good. And, you know, one time a person came up to me and said Vince, you don’t think you really keep students here, do you? I said nah, I’m not that naïve, I said, I just said, if I can make them smile for five seconds out of their day, it’s made my day. That’s all. Or, for one minute, if I can take their mind off an exam (p) that’s all, just one minute, to let them think of something else, that’s all. But that’s, it doesn’t take much. (p) And, like, they’d say, how come you talk to the students? And I’ll say, I don’t know, but it’s just my nature. I figure I can say something (p) even if it doesn’t help…I, I, don’t know (laughs) I just talk to them, that’s what they’re there for, to say something to, I guess. I, and if a student doesn’t want to say hello to me I keep saying hello and eventually she will say hello. But so far I’ve never run into that, so…I thank God about that, but (p) I really love it here, though, and I think when I retire I’m really going to miss it. But, you know, there will be other people here, and I hope that they can be just as good to the students as I was, (p) cause, (p) what was it, one person told me in my own department, you spoil them people! What do you mean spoil them? I don’t know what you mean! And the person couldn’t answer me, neither. (p) I don’t think I spoil people, see, I think I help them because I want to help them. It’s not because nobody tells me to help them. Because I’ll ask them if I can help them before they can even ask me to help them. (p) And, that’s what I’m here for, that’s what I enjoy. I enjoy helping people, I, especially students, and you know, even the faculty here…I, I just get along with everybody, I don’t know why that is, I just don’t know (laughs). I, and then another guy asked me, well, this was my supervisor, how come you’re happy all the time? I said, well, I don’t know, I guess there’s too much sadness in the world now, why should I be sad, too? You see, and that’s what I mean, if I can just make somebody just smile, for a while, just forget about all of this other stuff that’s going on, it, it really makes me feel good inside. It makes me feel like I was put on this earth for something. Next (laughs)!
A: How long have you been at Hollins?
V: 18 years. Well, it’ll be 18 years in April, the middle of April, so…(p). And I’ve done the same thing for 18 years (laughs). I’m, um, I’ve always helped the students, see…we had a, when I first came here there was an elderly lady named Mrs. Whitman, she was the supervisor then, and she taught me to always take care of the students, that no matter what happened, the students always came first. And that’s the way I’ve always been (laughs). Cause even like, um, see I was driving the truck and um somebody said Vince, they need some help over in the administration building to get something down the steps. I said I’ll give you a hand in about 20 minutes, I’ve got to go help this student over here, first (p). Nobody liked it, cause they had to wait for me, but I wasn’t going to let the student go just for that. I had already made the appointment with the student; they were coming down just asking me for help (p). And, I don’t know, that’s what I’ve always done. It didn’t matter. I always found time for the students. If there was any way I could help them. I’m not rich, I’ll never be rich, but if there’s any other way I can help you I will. And that’s really, really the way I am. I’ll go out of my way to help them, but um…one time um, these were the art students here, they had these big, I don’t know how this came about, they had these big cardboard things they built and ah, they were going to show them in the Botetourt Reading Room. I see them all carting this stuff, and you know, dragging pieces across the room. Well, what are ya’ll doing? Oh, bringing this up there. I said, you want to use my truck? I let them use my truck, so...They’d come, Vince, how come use your…it’s my truck. I can let anybody use it I want to. You can’t tell me who I can let use my own truck! Yeah, but they might scratch it! They can’t hurt it (laughs). But that’s the way I am, I, literally I love the students here. I love this place.
A: We love you, too.
V: I do, I mean, it makes me so sad when I see students sad. I try to cheer them up. I know I’m not a big help, but like I keep saying, just for a little while if you can forget your problems (p). Cause they’re still going to be there, you just might as well take the time to smile (laughs). That’s what I…the problem isn’t going to go away because you stay up all night, or don’t eat, don’t do this, don’t do that. It’s still going to be there, just take the time. And, it never hurts to be nice to somebody, never. I’ll tell anybody that. Next?
A: Um (p) let me see. How do you spend your time outside of work?
V: Oh! (P) Well, I really (p) don’t do that much, I have two grandsons. And a lot of times we’ll go around places. You know, do some shopping…I think I told you I like to, to move around a lot, like, on weekends, I love to go to the stores and just walk around. I go to Best Buy, now, as many times as I’ve been in Best Buy I still go in and walk around. I go to Target, I go to Valley View and walk around…I don’t know (p) I don’t know if it’s because of the people around me or what (laughs) I don’t know what it is. But I enjoy it. And it doesn’t bother me if the line is 20 people deep, and there’s a little old lady up there trying to write a check and it’s taking 20 minutes, that don’t bother me a bit. Yeah, I’m just as patient as I can be about it. But, and the other things I do like is working around the house, and I do like to fix up things. And like, I just gone out and bought, well, this is a, a cumulative thing I’ve been doing over the last five years, I’ve been buying a lot of power, uh, tools, which I plan on using pretty soon. I figure why hire somebody if I can do it. So…I may not do it right the first time, but that’s how I’m going to learn to do it right the second time. But, I enjoy that, and I love working out in the yard, I trim my own trees, but I’m getting a little to old to get up there, so I, I usually send a grandson up there. But, I really do, its…and then I have my computer, I mess with it a while. I used to watch television a lot, but I don’t do that much anymore. I like to read, I love to read, and um, I’m into computers, so I get the computer magazines and I read them front to back…and if there’s a book I want I get it and I read that front to back. I love to read. I love it…it just calms me down. And even when, like I, I don’t remember if I’ve had a hectic day here, I guess there were hectic days, and I’ll get in front of my computer and in no time I’m just as calm as I can be. And now, I never take my work home with me. Never. Anything that happens here happens here. Just like I don’t bring my home here. Anything that happens at home is…home. This is…Hollins. And I’ve always been dedicated. And like right now, I’m not really married but I’ve been living with this woman for 19 years, and right now she’s not in the best of health, so…she took care of me when I wasn’t, so now it’s my turn. And there’s no reason, I don’t mind giving up my time for her or anything. But like, anything I can do to help somebody I would, if it’s within my power. I enjoy the grandchildren and everything…I, I liked them better when they were small, though.
A: How old are they?
V: One is 15 and one is 16.
A: Do they live around here?
V: The live in Bedland (unclear). I live in Salem, which is a pretty good distance; it’s a bout a 10 to 15 mile distance. (p) But, when they were small they would always call, and they would call me Vince. Vince, can you come and get us? I want to spend the weekend up there. I’d say yeah, that’d be nice (laughs). But, and yeah, I’d fuss at them ah no you can’t spend the weekend with me. You cost me so much money when you come! But they knew they were coming anyway. (p) But I, and even then like Ethel [Vince’s significant other] would tell me ‘you’re spoiling them!’ I’m spoiling them--you spoil them too! (laughs). Because they say I buy them anything they want. (p) I guess I do in a way, because, well, how should I put it? When I was younger, the money wasn’t there. And like I said, I’ll never be rich but with what I’ve got I’m comfortable. I don’t mind spending it on them. Like, um, even for Christmas, um, the older one, he’s got a license now, and he, he bought a new car with his mama’s help, so he wanted to put sub woofers in the back (unclear). So I said yeah, I’ll buy the sub woofers (unclear, again), I can go two for…a hundred and something dollars, which was fine by me, I said I’ll even pay for the box, which would have came to two hundred dollars. But he said ‘nah, nah, nah, nah. Momma’s going to buy me that.’ ‘Well, what do you want me to buy?’ ‘I’ll come around Wednesday and show you.’ Well, he came around that Wednesday, and we went to this auto store, sound store, (p). ‘This is what I need, this 400 watt amplifier’ and I said ‘I’m with you,’ oh, he said, ‘it’s only $379.’ I said ‘only?’ (laughs) and he said ‘yeah, it’ll make the speakers sound good.’ So I said well let me think about it. So I talked to the salesman and said how long is the sale on—cause they were on sale—and he said well, to the end of December he said, yeah…But I don’t know if ya’ll did it when you were young, but he got this down trodden look, so I said let’s go look at the televisions and stereos back here, they have some nice ones. ‘Yeah, okay, okay…’ So we went back there, and I said you really want that thing, don’t you. ‘Yeah, I’d really like to have it’ and I said okay, we’ll buy it. All the sudden he’s all perked up and ready to role again. So I bought it for him and, but, and, yeah, how can I say it? Just to see him happy again (laughs) I guess. But, he’s a good kid, I like him. We’re having a little trouble with the younger one, but he still gets what he wants, anyway. (p) But I’m really happy with them, my life is happy with them. I (p), I, the only complaints I think I really have in life are (P) not really personal complaints about myself, it’s that, they’re mainly at uh, the college. When I see how some people are treated on this university campus, it upsets me. Cause I say why, these people are dedicated, they are working, why would you want to do that to them? And the only answer that I can come up with is abuse of power. I say why, though. That’s their nature, that’s their nature, and I can’t stop them. But, it’s, not much bothers me. I’m very patient about everything…and, I don’t know (p). I’m really dedicated to this place, though, and I read in the um, when I read about the students that, about that ‘Tacky tour,’ (p). I can’t understand why the Roanoke Times wrote things like that, because, they should have figured it out for them selves, that was a college thing. Of course they’re going to say it’s tacky if it’s going down trodden a little bit, you go down town, you know, down…If I went to the ghetto, uh, I wouldn’t say it was tacky, but, well, I would say I went Slumming (p). See, now, that’s no disrespect towards the people who live there, and its not really putting me on a higher perch, neither. It’s just, it’s, it’s what everybody would say. I mean, Texas Tavern isn’t the best place in the world to eat (laughs). But, nah, I think (p) I worry more about people around here than I do my own family (laughs). (P) But like I say, I don’t really have any problems at home, and the little problems I, I have I can resolve so easily. It doesn’t really bother me. It’s just that sometimes I procrastinate with my work at home, but…like I tell Ethel, I’ll get it done, I’ll get it done. And I do, it just takes me a little longer than usual. And, see, I keep telling Ethel, well, I call her “Ma” cause that’s what the grandkids used to call her when they were small, and I say now, Ma, you know, I’m getting older now, I can’t do the same things…she says you’re just trying to get old. I said I’m not trying nothing, I’m getting there. I’m not old yet, but I’m getting there. But…I love life, though, I love it. It, it’s great. And anybody that wants to waste it, I don’t know why. Cause really, when you think of it, even if you live to 85, all right, that’s not very long. Because when you, think your going to school for the, well if you go to college, the first 21 year…well, the first five years you don’t know too much anyway, after that you go to school for what, 12, 16 years, then you’ve got to go to work. Now, you’re going to work what, another 40, another 40-something years? What’s that? That’s 60-something years of your life. Now you’ve only got probably 20 more years left to enjoy it where you know what’s going on…(laughs) and that’s not very long. But the memories are the best, I’ll tell ya…(p) that’s why I tell the students here, you know you study. Yes, you do study, that’s what you’re here for, to study, but have fun, too. Because you want to look back on it and say boy, ah, that old economics teacher, he was so hard on me, but remember that weekend that we went out and did this and this and this? Oh, we had a crazy time (p) and that’s what’s going to make your day. (P) Anyway, Next? (laughs).
A: Um, you said that her name is Ethel, right? I just wanted to make sure I got her name right.
V: Yeah, Ethel, m-hum.
A: Do you have any children?
V: Yeah, I have a daughter. Yeah, one. And then two grandkids.
A: Um, let me think, most of this has already been covered (P). How long have you, uh, lived in the Roanoke area?
V: Oh, here? Oh, it’s over 30 years now, I know it is. Yeah, it’s funny how I got to move down here. Because, like I was telling you prior to this, I had a job at the T.S.S. stores in the designs, and, uh, I was working, and I was making pretty good money, I was making about $200 dollars a week, and when you consider that in the ‘60’s, that was a pretty good salary. And, uh, one of the friends I hung around with, his wife came from Roanoke. So me, him, another buddy and his wife decided to come down here for a vacation. And we stayed down here for about a week and I really enjoyed it—it was such a difference from New York. (p) I mean people were polite here, when you tried to get out into the streets people didn’t run you over, they let you go (laughs). So we went back home to New York, and about six months later he called me and said Vince, my wife wants to move to Roanoke, he says, do you want to give us a hand moving? I said yeah, when are you going to go, and he said one Friday, we’d like to leave that Friday morning so you can come back Sunday. I said yeah, I’ll talk to my boss, see if I can get the day off. And I talked to my boss, we got the day off, we packed up the U-Hall and drove down here, and I’ve been down here ever since (laughs). So I had to call my boss in New York, and he was a great boss, and he, uh, he sent me my check, he sent me my sick time and my vacation time, he even gave me a bonus. And I thought that was the greatest thing, and the letter he gave for recommendation was terrific. And I thought wow. I still don’t understand why he gave the bonus, because, actually I didn’t even give him any notice, I just called and said, well, I just want to live down here. Now, when I called my sister, my mother had already passed away, (p) I told them I lived in the Western part of Virginia now, and that was a shock to them, they didn’t think I’d move from New York. But then, somehow it got mixed up and they thought that I, were telling people that I lived in West Virginia. And so I had to straighten that out. I said I live in the Southwestern part of Virginia. Now they’ve got it strait, so… Nah, but I loved it down here, I still love it. It’s a great place to live. I don’t know if (p) how many people have actually been in New York or lived in New York for a long period of time, but (p) when they say there’s a traffic jam here, and they’re still going 25 miles and hour, that’s not a traffic jam. A traffic jam is on the Long Island Expressway, where the speed limit is 45, and you’re at a dead stop. That’s a traffic jam. But I just loved it down here. I loved the fall, love the spring, love everything. Love the snow, love the rain, love everything (laughs). I don’t know, people think I’m crazy half the time, but, see…they even think I’m on some kind of crazy medication or something (laughs). (p) But it’s, I don’t know, I just have trouble being sad. I don’t know why (p) I mean, I know when sadness is there, and it’s appropriate, but I can’t being sad just for being sad. Something in that category, I don’t know if anyone can understand it…and angry, I get angry, yes. I think the longest my anger lasts is about ten minutes. Then I forget about it, I don’t even want to know. It’s like I can’t stay angry, I know that for a fact. (p) Even if, I don’t know, even if you did me wrong I’ll still talk to you and say hello, whether it’s to aggravate you or what I don’t know (laughs), but, uh…I do it. I, I guess it was my upbringing, I don’t know. But I’ve really changed since I’ve come here, though, in the last 18 years, I really, I…Everything just kept getting better and better and better. Even when I lost the assistant supervisor position, I guess they thought I was going to quit or something, but why? I love this place. I don’t care what I’m doing. You’re going to pay me the same, anyway, so I might as well do what needs to be done. I went to Turner, and I loved it there, and then I came here, and I love it here, too. I, I just like it. I don’t know, some people, I don’t know how to put it, they think something’s wrong with me or something. And there isn’t. And that’s what I tell people. I am quite sane, but I’ll joke around with them and say yeah, I’m going to see my psychiatrist, but, um…I can’t drag in in the mornings—I’m happy in the mornings just like I am in the afternoons, I can’t drag in here (fake mumbles) argh, I hate this place. If I hated this place I wouldn’t be here. I’d find a place I liked. And that’s I think that’s why I jumped around in jobs, too. I think when people treated me bad, I’d never get angry, I’d just leave. Quietly. I’d let them know I was leaving, but I wouldn’t make a big stink about it. And then I’d find something I really liked. I can’t see, if you don’t like your job, why would you work at it and be aggravated all the time? Making yourself sick. You’re not making anyone else sick but yourself, so…I love it here. I’ll tell anybody that, I don’t care who they are, President, Vice-president…well, they all know it, anyway (laughs). They’re probably thinking oh here comes that crazy Vince coming, oh Lord…(laughs). But…but you know, the job here, there are times when it’s hard or tedious, but, I don’t know it never bothers me, when they come up to me, Oh Vince we made such a mess here and here…don’t worry about it. I’ve got a vacuum cleaner, what are you getting excited about? I’ll clean it up. Ah, Vince, let me borrow this and this, I’ve got to clean…leave it alone, I’ll get it. And, cause, why would I want someone else to do it when it’s not really going to kill me to do it? (p) Now, if I’m going to have a heart attack doing it I’ll say okay, here’s the rag. But, no, really, if it’s in my power there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for anybody. It doesn’t matter who you are, black, white, orange, purple, short, fat, skinny, tall, I don’t care, I just don’t care. You’re a person just like me, and I love people, see…And that’s the whole thing, I don’t pick and choose who I’m going to talk to, Oh, I’m not going to talk to that one, she’s too big. Oh, here comes one. I’m going to talk to her—nah, they’re all the same to me. If they all want to line up and the theater, I’ll hug everybody (laughs). I just love people around here. And like I said, I love the students here. (p) We used to have this reputation of having real uppity students, and I never saw it. Well, maybe one or two, but it was such and isolated case—all the students were always friendly. (P). That’s why I love it here. Thanks! (laughs)
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