After 80 years of gracing us with his presence, last week my dad moved on to a better place. Vern Swanson spent 40 years of his career selling Oscar Mayer products. This included selling and eating lots of hot dogs! As a kid I had the privilege of watching him service customers and seeing him work. He showed me what it takes to be successful. Prior to retiring in 1983, he received a national sales award for selling millions of pounds of low fat turkey products. This included a trip to the Super Bowl in 1983, where he had his photo taken with the famous Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. Who would have thought that someday his daughter would be adding 'glam' to uniforms NFL Cheerleaders?
This modest, yet successful man taught me more from his actions than his words. He was a quiet guy that did more than sell meat; he cared about his customers and believed in the product he sold. When confronted with challenges, his integrity never wavered. It was not his nature to lecture; however, I often remember his response to a challenging situation, "Be nice to others even when it feels like they are not being nice to you." This message combined with his actions has lead me to believe that when we truly care about one another, mutual success is imminent. He lived by this simple, yet powerful belief.
Dad, thank you for setting a great example. Selling 'glamour' at The Line Up requires the same care and dedication you displayed selling Oscar Mayer products. There may be times when I waiver; however, each day I strive to live up to the standards you set for me.
I would also like to thank everyone for their kind words and support in the past several weeks. I feel so extremely fortunate to have so many dear and lasting friends through the work we do at The Line Up.
The Oscar Mayer Weiner song was often proudly sung by everyone in our family. Oh my, I am old enough to remember this commercial dating back to 1965!
