Blog Day #183 in a day of my life. Today- I REMEMBER-Today I AM SAD- Today I PRAY-Today is the END. 99 plus years! AMERICAN OLEAN TILE!

     When one chapter ends- another begins- well - this book lasted 99 plus years. That is incredible! I was part of that 99 years for 32 years. I am sad- I am heart broken- I am emotional. All those people that I fondly think of- their days are numbered- Dec. 12 th to be exact- I think- that is what I read- How do you put into words the life times of people you know who no longer travel to South Clark Street to do a job?



                THE DREAMS OF MANY- SHATTERED - WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

JUNE 5TH-1967- 8AM-WAITING IN HALL WAY- JIM ECKMAN- HUMAN RESOURCES
NERVOUS- JUST OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL- CAN I DO THIS? TWO OTHER GUYS WAITING- ONE NAMED JERRY & THE OTHER JAMES- BOTH COLLEGE STUDENTS.

MY DREAM WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN- THEIRS- THIS WAS ONLY A PIT STOP- THEN BACK TO COLLEGE- MINE- I HAD A FAMILY TO SUPPORT- THIS WAS LIFE TO ME.

I WAS ABOUT TO START MY JOB AT AMERICAN OLEAN TILE-TODAY- 45 YEARS 4 MONTHS LATER- I STILL WORK FOR THEM ALBEIT UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME- DAL TILE AND IN A DIFFERENT STATE- VA. 13 YEARS 5 MONTHS AGO- I MADE THE MOVE AND TRANSFERRED SOUTH TO NORTHERN VA. LEAVING BEHIND 32 YEARS OF MEMORIES AND FRIENDS. MY DREAM WAS CONTINUING-AS WAS THE PEOPLE I LEFT BEHIND.

 SADLY-THIS WOULD BE EVEY ONES WISH- BUT TODAY- THERE AREN'T MANY FRIDAYS LEFT FOR 174 PEOPLE IN OLEAN NEW YORK. THEY TRIED- THE STATE OFFICIALS- THEY PUT TOGETHER A LOT OF INCENTIVES- TO KEEP THE DOORS OPEN- BUT IN THE END - IT WASN'T ENOUGH- I READ A COMMENT- IT WAS THE PRESIDENTS FAULT-NO IT WASN'T!

I WORK WITH VARIOUS SHAPES AND SIZES OF TILE EVERY DAY. BEFORE I MOVED- I THOUGHT OLEAN TILE WAS THE CENTER OF THE TILE INDUSTRY- THEN I LEARNED IT IS BUT A SMALL FRACTION OF THE WHOLE. PEOPLE JUST DO NOT WANT SMALL CERAMIC TILE! ITS NOT POLITICS-IT BASIC HUMAN CONSUMPTION. LOOK AROUND-LOOK IN THE MALLS-LOOK AT ADVERTISEMENT'S-YOU JUST DO NOT SEE ONE OR TWO INCH TILE. WHERE IT IS BEST IS SHOWER ROOMS-WET SURFACES-IN BIG AREAS- THEY WANT MARBLE-GRANITE-NATURAL STONE- IN ALL OUR SALES SERVICE CENTERS I HAVE WORKED AT-THE SMALL TILE IS A FRACTION OF WHAT WE SELL!



MY HEART BLEEDS FOR THOSE PEOPLE-TRYING TO REMEMBER ALL WHO WORK THERE- I BELIEVE THERE ARE 14 OR 15 COUPLES STILL THERE. THAT WILL BE AN ENTIRE FAMILY OUT THE DOOR AND NO JOB!

I READ ONE OF MY FRIENDS STATEMENT ON FACE BOOK. HE COUNTED UP THE YEARS THAT HIS FAMILY AND ANCESTOR'S WORKED FOR OLEAN TILE.

THAT NUMBER CAME UP TO 250 YEARS! I HAVE TOLD MANY PEOPLE-WHERE I CAME FROM IN OLEAN-WAS FAMILY! YOU KNEW PEOPLE AND THEIR KIDS-YOU HAD COMPANY AND UNION PICNICS-YOU WERE ON BALL TEAMS-BOWLING TEAMS-RODE MOTORCYCLE TOGETHER-WORKED TOGETHER-YOU KNEW THEIR PARENTS-BROTHERS-SISTERS-COUSINS NAMES.

YOU MET AFTER WORK FOR A DRINK ACROSS THE STREET AT ROXY'S-YOU WENT INTO OLEAN AND HAD DINNERS-OR ON WEEKENDS YOU WENT CAMPING TOGETHER OR YOU THREW A PARTY.

IT WAS FAMILY AND NO ONE WILL EVER TAKE THAT AWAY. I AM SAD- I DO NOT KNOW WHAT SOME OF MY FRIENDS WILL DO- A LOT OF THEM ARE IN THEIR 50'S AND 60'S. I AM UPSET- I THINK OF THEM ALL THE TIME-THOSE THAT RETIRED OR PASSED- MY MEMORIES ARE FOND MEMORIES-I KNOW EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY IT THOSE BUILDINGS LIKE THE BACK OF MY HAND.



THE STATE AND COUNTY IS SENDING IN THEIR TEAMS OF PEOPLE TO HELP THE TRANSITION-SOME WILL BE OKAY-MOVE ON- OTHERS- AND I KNOW I WOULD- WILL BE IN SHOCK- MOST CAME AS I DID RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL- THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE THEY KNOW- THEY HAVE NEVER WORKED ANY WHERE ELSE- HOW DO YOU LOSE THOSE FEELINGS- HOW DO YOU GET UP THE DAY AFTER AND HAVE NO PLACE TO GO?

I WANT THEM ALL TO KNOW- WE FEEL FOR THEM-DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO- YOU CAN OFFER- BUT WHAT? WE HAVE MMEORIES- THAT IS WHERE WE MET- FEEL IN LOVE AND GOT MARRIED. WORKED TOGETHER-SHE CAME HOME AND SAID DO YOU WANT TO MOVE- I SAID YES-I WAS BURNED OUT- I NEEDED A CHANGE-IT WAS A GOOD MOVE FOR US- AND NOW-I DO NOT WANT TO THINK WHAT WE WOULD DO IF WE WERE STILL THERE.



SOME DAY IN THE FUTURE, THIS WILL MAKE SENSE- BUT NOT NOW- SOMEDAY THERE WILL BE HAPPINESS- BUT NOT TODAY- TODAY WE GRIEVE THE PASSING OF A ERA-OVER 99 YEARS IN THE MAKING. ALMOST A CENTURY-THE STORIES THOSE ANCIENT WALLS COULD TELL-THE LAUGHTER-THE JOKES-THE LOOKS-THE NIGHT SHIFT-THIRD SHIFT AND ALL THE CHARACTERS-THE PLAYERS SO TO SPEAK- AND ALL THOSE WHO CAME AND WENT-ALL THOSE WHO RETIRED-THOUSANDS AND THOUSAND'S OF PEOPLE. OLEAN TILE HAS BEEN THE LIFE BLOOD OF OLEAN NEW YORK FOR ALMOST 100 YEARS!

  A ENDING- ANEW BEGINNING-MY HEART BLEEDS

I HOPE THIS MAKES SOME SENSE TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE-IT IS GRIEF COMING OUT- I WANT TO HELP BUT AM HELPLESS- I WANT TO REACH OUT- BUT DO WHAT? I CAN PRAY AND I WILL- I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU AND THE GOOD TIMES- YOU ARE CLOSE TO MY HEART-MY LIFE STARTED THERE, AND THE ECHO'S OF TIME STILL FILTER THEIR WAY THROUGH MY MIND.

TO ALL MY FRIEND'S STILL THERE-GOD BE WITH YOU-MAY HE WALK BY YOUR SIDE IN THIS TROUBLED TIME- THERE IS A GLASS HALF FULL- THERE IS SUNSHINE AND THERE ARE RAINBOWS.

ASK ABOUT ELDERS BURG-THEY NEED GOOD HARD WORKING PEOPLE-GO TO GETTYSBURG IF THE OPPORTUNITY IS PRESENTED- ASK IF THERE ARE OPENINGS AT THE SALES SERVICE CENTERS- I MADE IT- SHERRY MADE IT AND JIM BROWN MADE IT AT THESE STORES AND THEY WERE THRILLED WE BROUGHT THAT OLEAN TILE WORK ETHIC WITH US!

ASK QUESTIONS- ASK FOR JOBS ELSEWHERE- THEY ARE THERE. IF GETTYSBURG RAMPS UP- THEY WILL NEED EXPERIENCED PEOPLE- THEY WON'T KNOW UNLESS YOU ASK!

TO ALL OF YOU-GO IN PEACE-THANKS BE TO GOD- I WILL NEVER FORGET.

  YOU JUST HIKE YOUR PANTS UP

AND GO FORWARD- GOD BLESS YOU ALL.