My second job ever was working at a college bar. The bar was located in Memphis, Tennessee, on Madison just before the I 40 exit and close to the Southern College of Optometry. There was nothing nice about it except the food and beer. They didn’t serve liquor. The city kept a copy of my fingerprints. Everyone drinking had to be carded unless I wanted to spend some time in jail.
My Day Involved Watching Other People Have Fun
I had finally turned 18. My friends and I lived on Prescott. The sun was setting on the horizon as I drove toward downtown for my job.
I only remember a few things about working the after over 40 years
The first instance was a girl objecting to being carded. She puffed out her chest and said, “Can’t you see that I am over eighteen?” Personally, I didn’t care how old her boobs were.
The second time, a bunch of sports fans celebrated a win. Suddenly, bottle rockets were going off everywhere. Someone attempted to get behind the bar. I picked up what looked like a baseball bat and threw it at about knee height.
When cleaning, I found a long glass beer bong and kept it as a souvenir until it eventually broke.
Otherwise, no drinking and watching other people have fun became my way of life.
Finally, This Happened on a Regular Work Day
On July 1, 1978 (as garnered from articles of the night), I drove to my job.
My roommates were at Overton Square.
They entered the bar where I was working…It looked like all of downtown was on fire. Did you realize what was happening?
No.
The building across the road is on fire.
I didn’t know.
We went to the door, and sure enough, the building across the road was on fire.
That’s all I remember about that night. These articles should fill in some gaps:
- a PDF called ECONOMICS, GRIEVANCES, PROTECTIVE-EMPLOYEE UNIONIZATION, AND THE 1978 MEMPHIS FIRE AND POLICE STRIKES by Charles Steven Palmer from the University of Mississippi
- The Firemen Next Time by John Berlau on October 14, 2010, on National Review
- Memphis Firemen Join Police in Strike by James Cole, August 15, 1978, in the Washington Post
- Firefighters’ Strike In Memphis Brings Blazes and Curfew, July 3, 1978, New York Times.
by Stephanie
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