Classic Country fans..Help please..i need some advice bout one of my band member!
Question: ok, this is the deal..our steel player is 74 years old and can run rings around me when it come s to CLASSIC COUNTRY TRIVIA..the problem is, when i'm working in my store on week-ends he stops almost every week-end by just to chat about the LEGENDS and good ole country music in general...ok, i'm WORKING, 3 t-shirts on the easels, one on the board waiting to be sketched and sometimes the phone might ring..well CARL just keeps right on talking and talking and asking and laughing...he drives me insane...I'M BUSY!!! how do i tell this sweet old timer and GREAT FRIEND that i'm on a time schedule? he means well and i know he's bored when we're not playing some where...i don't dare be mean cause i know that you're burn in hell if you treat the elderly mean.HELLLLLLP!
Answers: ok, this is the deal..our steel player is 74 years old and can run rings around me when it come s to CLASSIC COUNTRY TRIVIA..the problem is, when i'm working in my store on week-ends he stops almost every week-end by just to chat about the LEGENDS and good ole country music in general...ok, i'm WORKING, 3 t-shirts on the easels, one on the board waiting to be sketched and sometimes the phone might ring..well CARL just keeps right on talking and talking and asking and laughing...he drives me insane...I'M BUSY!!! how do i tell this sweet old timer and GREAT FRIEND that i'm on a time schedule? he means well and i know he's bored when we're not playing some where...i don't dare be mean cause i know that you're burn in hell if you treat the elderly mean.HELLLLLLP!
You know Okie, from one christian to another...Value your time with the elderly. They have a lot to teach us. Besides our rewards are in heaven,not here on earth. God See's what you are doing and he knows how kind you are to this person. So know that you will be rewarded big time when you get to heaven. I sometimes regret not really sitting and talking with my mother as often as i should have. I miss her dearly but i know she is in heaven and that's a hell of a lot better place than where I'm at.
Simply tell him that your busy and ask if he can stop by near or right at closing time. You won't burn in hell if you tell him the truth, that your busy and need to do your job.
Why don't you give him a mission? With his knowledge, he could probably come up with some great sets of songs by classic artists for your band to play. Have him do it by theme, artist, era, etc. Tell him that you're too busy with all of the work you need to get done, and that he'd be a real help if he could take some of the load off of you.
How about approaching him a "project" of sorts? Let him jump on y/a and give us the quizzes.With the knowledge he has I am sure most of us would a lot. Plus it would maybe make him feel like he is passing on a tradition of sorts.
just say hey bud hows it going ? id love to chat but right now im right out straight.want to help?
Okay Okiefan here is my best answer. Tell Carl that you really enjoy his company and the time that he takes out of his busy schedule to stop and visit with you. You can then tell him that you realize that he is a very important part of the band and you also enjoy that relationship but that you do have bills to pay and need to turn out a product or you won't make the necessary money you need to pay your bills. You can also tell him that when you get caught up you will be glad to visit with him but at the moment you are not able to do that. If that don't work then invite him to stick around and help you with something he can do.Then hand him a broom and dust pan along with the vacuum cleaner and a mop to clean the place up a tad. Most likely he will not want to spend his free time working so he will say something like "well I guess I really need to be going" and at that time you can bid him farewell, dust your hands off,breathe a sigh of relief and get back to your work. If none of the above works you can take one hand and place it on the back waistband of his trousers and the other on the back of his shirt collar and count to three and give him the old heave ho. I hope this answer has helped you. In the future you can address all of your questions to:
Dear Fool 4 Tommy Collins
P.O. Box 12345
New York, New York 00000
and I will answer your next question in my daily newspaper column.
On Edit: I am elderly and noone seems to mind being mean to me at times. Where is your shop so I can drop by and visit you on your spare time?
Tell him to bring his guitar and play for you while you work.
Then U both would be happy. RIGHT
Okie...you got some pretty good advice here already. I like the idea of giving him something to do....musically, or send him on errands for you. It will turn out to either be a new free helper, or not....lol
awwww poor feller.......poor OKIE....that's a tuffie.. if i was there i'd take him off your hands.otherwise, you gonna have to put up w/ Mr Carl cuz, what if you told him to get lost (nicely ofcourse) and he did?? you couldnt sleep w/ you. good luck and God bless for puttin up w/ old ppl.