Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Crisfield's Paper Boy, Charlie Adams


Yesterday, I did a post on youth. I thought it only fitting that today, I do a post on age.

Let me introduce the world to Charlie Adams. I snapped a photo of him while I was shooting the Crisfield Memorial Day services at our cemetery. Charlie kept telling me how proud he was that he was going to be buried in the veteran's section of the cemetery, next to his father.

I thought that was really nice, but I doubt if anyone in Crisfield wants to see Charlie leave this world anytime in the near future. When he does leave us, I know Heaven will have a corner for Charlie to stand on. What will he be doing on that corner?

The same thing he did in Crisfield for 67 years. Charlie was Crisfield's "paper boy." He never missed a day selling the news. When he retired recently, the town had a plaque put in the exact spot where he stood all those years; in rain, sleet, snow, heat and cold, everyone in town knew Charlie would be on duty.

Charlie's courteous attitude was unyielding, his smile contagious.

The spot, if you are ever in Crisfield, is on the corner, down from Gordon's on Main Street. Be sure and check it out. A lot of history was told there, thanks to Charlie.

Charlie stills stays busy, and we all wish him a lot more time with us.

Thanks, Charlie - for 67 years of dedicated service to the town of Crisfield. Charlie loves Crisfield, and Crisfield loves Charlie.



“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” ~ Charles R. Swindoll

16 comments:

J9 said...

Patty - thanks for the reminder that we all need a change in attitude!

Anonymous said...

What a nice post... He is certainly a Community treasure!
Love,
Marilyn

GingerV said...

I think it wonderful that a town would pay tribute to this simple man. a great post this morning Patty. have a great day

Anonymous said...

A very heart-warming post.

Bagman and Butler said...

FAntastic picture of a fantastic face. And moving words to accompany it.

Joanne said...

That Crisfield was wise enough to pay tribute to this treasure speaks volumes for the town, as well.

Unknown said...

Forever people are not always forever. All too soon they dissolve into a memory. People who strive day after day to add a little stablity to our chaotic lifestyles are true gems. Thank you for Charlie Adams' story. We have a ticket taker at a local movie theatre whose story is similar, but rarer to find in the urban sprawl of our large city. Charlie has become the news. =D

Dan Felstead said...

Great Post Patty,
I enjoyed the photo and the narrative.

Dan

Zaroga said...

A wonderful tribute to a dedicated man.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous post.

Mary-Laure said...

Very moving post.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

In Auckland in the 70s, our paper boys stand at a street corner and call out something like AH YE OH, I could make out want they were saying.

Did your paper boy call out too?

Great to have an honour while he is still alive. I bet he will be missed in his corner when he eventually "Retires"

Unknown said...

Great to know Crisfield honours Charlie - what a guy! Someone hard to find/replace.

Midlife, menopause, mistakes and random stuff... said...

I see kindness in his eyes and I love that. You can see that he has seen so many things and yet kindness eminates from him.
I loved this post :)
Have a fabulous evening dear (did you send me any time yet, lol)

Steady On
Reggie Girl

RA said...

What a beautiful dedication to Charlie! He sounds like a wonderful man. Have a great weekend, Patty :)

Mary said...

Hats off to Charlie and his generation. They certainly took their jobs seriously. It's awesome that a plaque was erected in his honor.

Blessings,
Mary