Most of my customers were elderly and on a fixed income. They enjoyed visiting with me when I stopped by to drop off their order and see if they were interested in ordering from the new catalog. I soon learned that most would at least order a lip balm or container of talcum powder as those were often on sale for 99¢.
One couple would always invite me in and ask if I would open food cans for them while I was there. They would have an assortment of cans along with a can opener and several margarine tubs on the table. Both had arthritis and using the opener was hard for them. I'd open the cans and they would pour the contents into the tubs and store them in the refrigerator.
Another lady would ask me to stay and listen to her play the organ in her living room. I'm sure she was lonely and enjoyed an audience.
I had mixed feelings about these sales. I was young, 19 at the time, and didn't always want to stay and visit, but I felt sad for the older customers who would buy something just so I would continue to come by and see them.
This time selling Avon gave me a new perspective of the elderly and the loneliness that often filled their days. I'm glad I was able to fill a small spot in their lives during for a while.
The pin below was earned by my grandmother, Dorothy Moorefield, in the 1940s. She sold Avon in Sanderson, Texas.
