The Long Way Home 7.4.25
July the Fourth is a day for celebration and some serious reflection. Independence Day. For the Bohunk and me, blessed to be baby boomers, independence meant hard work. It was hard to find a job in late 60s suburbia for a couple of mid-teeners. You had to know someone, and once a job found you, it was best to put your heart and soul into it — even for minimum wage. My next-door neighbor worked in the kitchen at a nearby Mr. Steak restaurant. At 15, through his introduction, the manager hired me as a busboy. In that job, I learned a lesson that has been at the front of my mind ever since. “If you got time to lean, you got time to clean.” Impressed by my work ethic, Dennis moved me onto the grill once I hit 16 and could work longer hours. I learned how to gauge the doneness of a steak, plan to get several dinners to the floor at the right time, and do a nightly cleaning of the grill and flattop. It was hard work, but the income allowed me to buy a 1967 Mustang and treat the future M...