May
Is It Progress?
There used to be tin signs which some folks had on their front porches. They read “No peddlers, beggars or solicitors.” One does not see much of these signs any more. They are tokens of another time.
There was a time only forty years ago when any of several vendors came to the door. One of the most common was the milkman, who would make his deliveries to the house. He usually left bottles of milk in an insulated metal box with a lid, and in summer he would even put a few pieces of ice in there. The milkman was a common sight, making his rounds in a white “step van” in the early morning hours.
Another common visitor was the Fuller Brush man. He went door to door selling brushes and other household products made by the Fuller company. They were popular items. He was one of the few door to door salesmen who got a friendly welcome.
Back then, door to door salesmen were common. They sold everything from encyclopedias to vacuum cleaners. Most were considered a pest. The salesmen had to be smooth talkers to get in the door. Each had a long-winded sales pitch carefully prepared by his company.
Peddlers were common. The grocery peddler came around in a small flatbed truck which was filled with open bushel baskets and fruit crates. On the back was a scale. In days when fancy vegetables were pretty much unknown, the peddler could carry everything his customers needed.
In ethnic neighborhoods specialty peddlers came around. I remember one who had a small panel truck. He had a loudspeaker and would chant something in Italian. It sounded like “Pa pa PO pa PO! Pa pa PO – OH!” The man sold Italian meat specialties such as tripe.
The knife sharpener was popular. Some came in a small truck, others walked on foot. They had their grinding wheel on a small stand. Ours came on foot, ringing a hand bell. People would come out, bringing knives and scissors to be sharpened. Back then, most cutlery was made to last.
Back then, it seemed as if the vendors just disappeared a few at a time. The milkman, the vegetable peddler, the knife sharpener did not come around any more. They were victims of changing times. Supermarkets were the end of the peddlers. Disposable knives were the bane of the knife sharpener. Suspicion has made it impossible for the door to door salesman. In fact, due to public concern, door-to-door sales are banned in many municipalities.
Progress often has casualties. The price of moving forward is the loss of those things that cannot keep pace. Things that had been common may become rare as the need for them changes. Change is enjoyable for some, uncomfortable for others, and hurtful for a few. Life will not stop its forward progress to accommodate everyone. Life must move forward, regardless of the casualties. It is up to us to make sure we are not among those left by the wayside. We need to know when we must change to meet the changes brought by Life.
