He Was A Curtain Rod Salesman!

In the mid 80's I found myself wearing big hair, big glasses and being a brand new grandmother. I also had decided to be involved with my little boy and my job and a new found enjoyment of exercise. I had stopped visiting with friends and was completely happy with that situation.
One afternoon a friend that I hadn't seen in a long time stopped by. She said, "Okay, Lu, it's time for you to get out and about. I will wait while you shower, do your make-up and dress cute." I told her that I was happy at home and didn't need to go out for supper. She was insisting that I get my "rear in gear" as she put it so finally I did just that.
We went to a very nice restaurant and I enjoyed myself! After our meal, Sue suggested we go into their bar and have a nightcap before we went home. I thought, "sure why not?" and followed her into the bar. Boy was it dark. It had a horseshoe bar and very small tables which were filled and a jukebox that was playing soft country western music. I have an aversion to sitting at a bar. That is just not my thing so I suggested that we go home. Sue had other ideas and saddled up to the bar. I figured I could have one drink and go home. I had broken one rule already; that was the rule where you always drive your own car.
I sat down by this elderly gentleman that seemed harmless. When I sat down wearing my "cute"eighties in style  jumpsuit, he said, "Hi, I"m Carl." Ok, here starts one of the best evenings I ever spent.
Carl had pure white hair. He wanted to visit so I obliged him and had such a fun time with him. He wanted to know what I did for a living. I told him that I worked for Sears. I asked him what he did for a living and he told me that he sold curtain rods for Penny's. I couldn't help it, I laughed. Being me, I said, "I didn't know that there were actual people that sold curtain rods." And his stories began.
He had not always sold curtain rods, he had sold vacuum cleaners, encyclopedias, brushes, and also "you name it. "He told so many funny stories that all the people that were sitting at the bar were in hysterics they were laughing so hard. Stories where he got chased off the porch by the lady of the house, bit by dogs, and once a jealous husband!
I noticed a man that sat across the bar from me that was laughing so hard, but was also hardly looking at the old man, but looking at me. Hmm. That was the beginning of the next twenty years of my life. We often talked about that curtain rod salesman. His personality, I'm sure, made him a very good living selling whatever he chose to sell.
The end of that twenty years didn't end well, but I still have good memories of that marriage and the curtain rod salesman that started it all with lots of fun stories.
My daughter once told me, "Mom you just go through life collecting characters to make your life interesting." Boy have I had a collection of characters! And it has been fun and so interesting. I can't wait to see if there are new characters just waiting to be part of my collection.