Get Rowdy, Redux

Still rowdy after all these days.

Good Monday morning. The weekend was crammed full of fun happenings downtown, but I'll have to post First Friday photos and story-lines tomorrow. Today I wanted to follow up on a post from June in which I described some rather enthusiastic young people who engaged in a ritual each morning in a parking lot across from Pete's. Among the details I gathered in June was the fact that they are in town from all over the country as salespersons for Southwestern Books.

Some commenters expressed concerns, which I shared, that the company has a less-than-sterling reputation regarding employee treatment. I decided I would poke my head back into their parking lot for one last, small conversation to see how it had been for them.

Getting Rowdy across from Pete's at 7:00 AM.

The young man I spoke to told me it has been a hard, but good summer for each of them. He further informed me this was their second or third summers doing sales for the company. They meet at Pete's for breakfast each morning, do their motivational dance in the parking lot and then go in various directions around Knoxville, including Blount and Grainger counties.

This week will be their last in Knoxville as they conclude sales for a couple of days, spend a few days distributing the books they've sold and return to homes or school to resume their normal lives. When I mentioned the criticisms, he acknowledged that it isn't easy. They often work twelve and fourteen hour days during the three months of the summer. He claimed to know at least one person who made over $50,000 doing so. I also asked about the ones who were here earlier in the summer and he said sales-people get moved around, though I wondered if some had gone home unhappy. Obviously, it was worth it to those remaining if they returned to the job for a second or third time.

Getting Rowdy, Knoxville, August 2011

As for me, I'll miss their exuberance at 7:00 every morning. Somehow I think Knoxville will have just a little less energy as they travel back to from whence they came. Maybe I'll hear their exhortation to get rowdy echoing from an empty parking lot as I climb into my car to drive to work. I doubt it will return my own youthful enthusiasm, but a little additional spring in the old step can't hurt.

Get Rowdy!

7 AM, Parking Lot outside Pete's Knoxville, Two Crazy Girls

Once again, the city offers surprises if you are willing to look. This one, like this one before came virtually begging on my doorstep to be blogged. A certain Urban Woman noticed them first, as her morning schedule more closely matched theirs than my own. She told me they were very consistent - right about 7:00 AM in the corner parking lot at Union and Locust, beside the Daylight Building. She demanded to know what was going on and mentioned more than once that any self-respecting Urban Guy would be all over it.

Two guys join two girls for cheers and Dancing, Knoxville, June 2011

Is there anything more creepy than an old man with a camera waiting on a street corner at 7:00 AM with no apparent purpose at hand? Probably not. People passed, nodded, spoke briefly. Time passed as I sipped my coffee and wondered if that Urban Woman had set me up. I noticed a couple of girls exiting Pete's Coffee shop and entering the parking lot walking, I presumed, to their car where indeed they paused.

And then there were five . . .

Then they stepped into the open area of the parking lot and began clapping. Next they circled one another and cheered. I caught the single phrase, "Get Rowdy." I'm taking their picture and thinking, "Well, this is it," when they are joined by two young men, then three more girls. Eventually all seven are a blur of motion, waving their hands to the sky, getting low to the ground and bursting upward into the air, then dancing around their circle once more.

Do the Funky Chicken, Downtown Knoxville, June 2011

By this time, I'm feeling the spirit and I'm certain others must be, as well, but then I notice they have not attracted a similarly rowdy crowd. No one is gathered to find out what's happening. People, in fact, are passing by as they walk their dogs or leave for work and acting as if they don't see these maniacal young people leaping, laughing and frolicking about in the parking lot! I guess we are trying very hard to be a big city and act as if nothing phases our big city selves.

Kickin' High, Reachin' Up, Gettin' Rowdy

They finally spent their spirit and gave each other a big group hug before breaking up. I walked over to offer a bit of an explanation regarding the photography and the blog, hoping they wouldn't be upset or bothered by the fact that they were about to become semi-famous at my hands. Quite the contrary, they offered to join for one final photograph as a group, which I happily took.

People pass like this is normal parking lot behavior.

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I'm excited for downtown Knoxville to turn in to a real city. Still, the part of a big city that looks straight ahead and doesn't make eye contact or ask any questions betraying the least bit of curiosity doesn't really appeal to me. I love that the city can surprise me and I greatly enjoy when it does. It's also thanks to this blog that I would approach them and ask questions since my natural inclination is to be somewhat reserved. For that I thank you, my readers, for giving me the excuse to stick my nose about!

Jumpin' in for the final hug.

Oh, what were they doing? Getting fired up for their long day going door-to-door selling books for Southwestern Books. I've always thought that has to be one of the worst summer jobs ever. Maybe it just seemed that way to me because I tend to be a bit more introverted. In any case, here they are on the city street many miles from their respective homes, with a job I would hate, getting rowdy. I could use a little of that. Couldn't we all?

The Original Cast from Get Rowdy! Knoxville, June 2011