Musings

11/19/21

Today we had our monthly “Folgers Alumni” lunch at Rosedale Barbecue on SW Blvd in KCK.

We had a good group today…some of my favorite people in the world.  Paul Smith, Bill Gay, Johnnie Phillips, Eric Allen and Mark Eberline.

Each of them deserve a longer story.  Our common link is working together in the 1980’s/90’s and early 2000’s at the Folger Coffee Plant in Kansas City.  Many of us ended up with extended work experiences together at the P&G Kansas City soap plant in the years after that.

Of course we talk about what we and our families are up to at the current time.  And names of old comrades come up…sometimes one of us has news, or we just reminisce with a nice story about them.

This all started, say, 12 years or so ago when a newcomer to the Folgers Plant, Joe Zembas, came on board as the plant technical systems manager, better known as the Plant Engineer position.  For some reason he started inviting Folger retirees and alumni (at the Soap Plant at that time) to meet for lunch on the last Friday of the month at Rosedale’s barbecue.  It became a “thing” and carries on to this day.  Although Joe transferred a few years ago…we carry on as Paul Smith then became our “spiritual leader”.

I don’t see this ritual of meeting at Rosedale’s ending any time soon.  I think it would survive Rosedale’s closing.  We kind of experienced that as we halted the monthly gathering from mid-2020 until, say, April of 2021 due to Covid.  Once we started meeting there again after everyone was vaccinated and things began to open up again…the place had changed a little to space people out a little more. 

There is much more to be said about each of these special gentlemen…and the linkages and camaraderie that came before, after, and during our monthly gathering for barbecue and fellowship.

As I near retirement I often think it is up to me to try to establish something similar with my soap plant alumni.  I know there are other soap plant alumni “things” that exist….a newsletter, a list of alumni maintained by Gerlinde Hopkins, and a breakfast group.  Maybe I’ll join them…and/or maybe I’ll start another thing with more current alumni.

Regardless….these type of things are good for all involved.  Perhaps I’ll write more on this subject..as it is rich with possibilities…and has a few good stories. 

Like all history…you can’t have too much “original source material”.  Although it is hard to see at the time…the work we did, how we did it, how we communicated and cooperated and made decisions and got work done was all part of “our time” on this planet.  It will likely never be quite the same.  So, our stories and anecdotes are worthy of being told.  Our thoughts and deeds may inform the future…either as entertainment of possibly timeless lessons about how basic truths about human endeavors don’t really change…although the technology and other aspects will be different.  Each era can inform each other…the future can give us hope…and the past can give us perspective.

James Newton Meeks November 19, 2021