The Undisputed Truth - “Smiling Faces Sometimes”
1971
Spent my twenties at a salaried accounting job in the role as dupe roped into additional tasks and projects. Eventually a General Ledger — the accounting lifeblood of a company, in this case a new joint venture — was offered to me. Management painted it as by taking this quest I could be King Arthur, Wyatt Earp, or Lee Iacocca in a choose-my-own-adventure. No doubt involving triplicate forms and data entry. While this would likely be a handy card to have up my sleeve in future dealings with the powers that be, it certainly wasn’t desired like a Shelby Cobra Mustang or a Fender Telecaster or even a case of Heineken. More money in my paycheck? No dice.
So there was my young self, sitting in a suburban office, management acting benevolent but with smiles that were a little too pleasant. I knew this general ledger wasn’t a grand undertaking, it was just more work. I didn’t want to be in the office nights and weekends and besides my mind was still at the previous night’s Soul Asylum show. Somehow I said what I wanted to say without truly saying it, I made a crack about Tom Sawyer painting that fence. Glances were exchanged, eyes dimmed, and smiles along with any future opportunities faded.