it's no secret....I'm not huggable...and I know why

Peter has posted his well-edited and captioned photos of last October's family celebration in Gaasterlân-Sleat,
Friesland. Look under photo albums in his junk drawer.

His posting this week admonishing us to be better customers has thus far been a failure for me. Though trying mightily to earn a hug, local shop owners still frown when I walk in. For example, last week I got a classic dressing down - chewing out from a local shopkeeper on the sidewalk outside the store for something I posted on these pages.

In contrast to Trader Joe's or to Subway there are few lines of customers locally. One would think they would be as happy to see me and my credit card as they are my wife and hers. I have to suffice with the knowledge and hope that the next generation is taking after their mother and being more sensitive.

What the next generation does not fully understand is that we were bought up by a Sears Roebuck and Co. employee who breathed the Sears slogan - "Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back".

We were told that the single fact of life was that we were not conceived but ordered out of the Sears catalog. Correct me please sisters if I am wrong. We could be returned for a full refund or replaced on a moment's notice, a true lifetime warranty. Even though two of us are now in business for ourselves, our instinct is to hold other businesses to the Sears standard, thus the fear and trembling when we walk in the door as a customer.

My living with a Dutch woman for the past thirty years has tempered my standard. Dutch businesses have sixteen million other customers to choose from. The Dutch customer is little but a potential thief to be observed, not helped.

The Sears slogan remains very obvious in my mother and sisters, a real treat to my senses, a legacy to our father.

The posting was most interesting Peter. Might we expect a (secret) photo of Secret on your site? With your interest in the Trader Joe's business model, perhaps you might learn something from how Sears stays in business despite Sam Walton.

OK children - and potential children-in-law - your message has been received and I have decided to do something concrete about my charisma problems. I'm taking this online course.

We do look forward to more stories of Argentina.