With the war effort we got out of school at 2PM. We were encouraged to "do our bit" so I worked at Woolworth's from the time I turned 16. I remember earning $5.00 for 20 hours. The Saturdays were 9 to 9. Lunch was 11 to 1, and 4 to 5 for dinner. Kinda shot all Saturdays, no football or baseball.I could rarely go to Teen Town.

In Woolworth's the left hand aisle was the jewelry counter. All these little earrings on a card for $.10 plus $.02 luxury tax. The jewelry counter was my main responsibility. Saturday AM I also had to run to the next two front counters, notions and paper products and the music counter in the second row. I ran my legs off sometimes. In the winters the wind blew directly onto me there and I had one cold all winter long! I remember one time a small child came to me and purchased the only thing she/he could find for $.02, it was for his Mother and I did not know how to handle it. If I had a dime on me I would have used it then. (They were very strict about that) The child bought a single wrapped kotex.

I still have a set of "dogwood" silver jewelry that I bought @ $5 each; my first purchase at a real jewelry store and almost my first purchase with my own money. Only one earring, the pin and the ring survived. Nostalgia?