long ago i made it a personal policy to buy something from every lemonade stand i passed or any girl scout/jr high band member/pageant contestant who darkens my doorway. (cue throngs of 10-18 year olds with stacks of dixie direct cards & world's finest chocolates brochures.)
it doesn't matter if i don't need the product, desire the service, or even LIKE the child selling. they can be the absolute worst salesperson in the world, but when it comes to me, they will ALWAYS CLOSE THE DEAL.
i think it might stem from 1981 mindi who set up a lemonade stand on 700 south on a hot st. george day. and watched car after car drive by--people in my ward, neighbors, teachers. nobody seemed to be in the market for a tepid cup of countrytime lemonade, NOR a mrs. field's recipe cookie in the shape of a care bear. (hello?! ALWAYS a crowd pleaser!)
my superior marketing skilz were on full display that day: i had the hand-painted sign, a checkered table cloth and a huge smile. i was the TOTAL PACKAGE. so what was wrong with these people? had their parents taught them NOTHING? for the love!
after what seemed an eternity (but more like 60 minutes in 11 year-old time) i decided to pack it in, defeated. i had made a whopping $1.10 and, to add insult to injury, i had managed to tear a hole in my new 'mork & mindy' iron-on baseball tee. so this was pretty much looking like the end of the world.
with my head down and my self-esteem even down-ER, i struggled to roll up my sign. it was then that i heard a car door open and shut. i looked up and saw my uncle dale.
he came up, said, "i'll have one glass of lemonade, mims."
i poured him a cup-full and handed it over. he handed me a five dollar bill and then drove off.
i've never forgotten my uncle's small act of kindness--a tender mercy for this young girl. so, to this day, i'll never pass by a stand without stopping and buying something.
which can get pretty spendy on a day like yesterday, when there were two stands on my street. but i consider the 50 cents spent on glasses of lukewarm apple cider and the $2.50 spent on a plate of cupcakes and cookies an investment.
16 comments:
I love that I can always count on closing the deal with you.
And you uncle is awesome.
Almost as awesome as you :)
I try to always stop at the stands, but a lot of the time they just come up with no warning. I can't stop cold with ten cars behind me! These kids need to put up a sign a block early saying "lemonade up ahead".
It's like these kids have never driven a car or something!
You made me cry. Sorry about your t-shirt. I love your uncle now. Great story.
Not the Mork and Mindy T?!?!?!
Loved the post
I love Mindi...and her big Uncle Dale too.
All hail Saint Mindi!!!
And from now own I will be seding an email with the World's Finest cataolg when it comes home from school.
Mmmmm, Mint Meltaways.
that's such a good Uncle story! :) I always wanted to do a lemonade stand, but we lived in the country, on a gravel road, 5 miles from town, so I gave up my dream. :)
Mindi, I only wish there were more thoughful people out there like you! A little goes a long way for a child.
When me and my friends did a lemonade stand we only made
1.50
I may have become a little choked up over that post.
this post warmed my ♥ and made me smile.
i, too, am guilty of stopping at the lemonade stands... usually i dont even drink it, but i want to see that twinkly smile and the excitement that it brings to know they "made the sale".
:) Thank you for sharing this!
Once when I was about 10- my grandparents took me with them to their annual pilgrimage to the Richmond (cache valley) cemetary. On the way home my grandpa stopped at a lemonade stand and put a $20.00 bill in the "tips" cup. I will never forget the look on those kids faces! That is why I stop every time too- Life lessons learned via my Grandpa! =)
And that is why I love you! At least one of the reasons.
I'm crying over lemonade.
SUCH A GREAT STORY.
Sweet story. I'll be sure to send my kids knocking on your door the next time I'm in St. George.
And now I want some lemonade.
What a great story, this is why I read your Blog. It gives me hope.
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