Harold and the owner of The Tucson Inn

HAROLD AND THE OWNER OF THE "TUCSON INN"
In 1977 or 1978 Dad was working alone in the Windowcraft showroom at 2707 North First Avenue. It was a hot summer Saturday mid-afternoon as I recall and the hour to close was drawing near and All Dad could think of was locking the doors, and walking the 50 feet to our house and getting a cool drink and a swim.
About 5 minutes before the closing hour, a "rattle-trap" pick up truck pulled up in front of the big windows of the shop. Dad’s heart sank, "Oh no," he remembered thinking, Another hour or two for nothing!, look at him! He’s a just bum!"
And in the same moment, he was ashamed of himself for thinking of "an old farmer" type as just a bum. So, Dad determined to give this old man the best service he possibly could.
When the customer asked about "window blinds", and "them roller shades", and Dad respectfully answered every question. Explaining all the good and bad features of each item and why you might choose one product over the other.
After and hour and half, the old man asked, "Can you come out to my place and measure for a thing or two?"
"Of course we can, how far out do you live sir?"
"Oh, Its not for my house, its for my new motel... ya’ know, the one they’re building over on Drachman Street?"
Dad’s throat went dry and his voice left him. That motel was to be the best motel in Tucson, to be called the "Tucson Inn" and was the in the planning phase, and we all knew it!
"I’ll just get the prints out of the truck, OK?"
Dad nodded, and went to the desk to clear space to spread the plans. They looked over the plans and started a working relationship which lasted for the duration of the building. The "old man" never showed up in the truck again but in a new car and rarely in the old cover-all’s but in new suits.
Dad told me that all the rest of his life he worked to never make a snap judgement about a person based on their appearance.
I think he achieved that goal, he died in March of 1995. His friends filled the ‘Friends Meeting House on 5th Avenue’. There wasn’t room to move. We ran out of food and drink although we thought we had more than enough! We sang and told stories about Dad and the cross - section of the community who showed up ran from the Mayor of Tucson and future Congressmen to folks who looked like "bums".