Hey! Hey!

Now this may seem off topic(or not) for this blog; but I figured it's worth noting. Recently Adam Prince and Billy Riddle made a road trip to Montgomery, AL; clinching highways and counties was the order of the day, as it always is with any East Coast Hive Mind roadtrip; but another objective was to go to Flea Market Montgomery and meet Sammy Stephens: the gent in the video above. Now, not only did they get to meet Sammy, but Sammy graciously took some of his time to shoot a short video with Adam and Billy.

Now this might not strike you as a particularly momentous event or anything; but it impresses me. Now we all know somebody like Sammy-a crazy kind of goofy dude who's hard not to like. And we might dismiss such a person, 'Yeah, he's crazy'-and not think much of him. In doing so, you miss something: Now Sammy caught Adam's fancy sometime back, and Adam had been noting him in the Roadgeek IRC chat. That, of course lead to the road trip and so on. Now North Carolina, and for that matter, Tennessee aren't exactly round the corner from Central Alabama. Here you have this guy who has intrigued people enough that they have to see what he's about. And they'll travel a distance to do it.

You see, Sammy Stephens has a hustle going here-not a bad hustle; but a pretty cool one. The man is a salesman, and like any good salesman, he knows the main product he's selling is himself. Even if someone doesn't actually buy anything from him, there is still the experience that is related, and that sets up the potential for Mr. Stephens to sell you a lamp or chair. You're compelled to go to Flea Market Montgomery, and hey, while you're there, why not pick up a little something for your place?

Mr Stephens has managed to parlay his ebullient personality into something that is beneficial to him; and at virtually no cost. He says it himself in the video I linked to-'people come from all over the world to see Flea Market Montgomery'. Actually, they come to see him; but as it happens in a situation like this, it's not about ego. People like this don't need to falsely pump up their ego. There's an important lesson in this, which I'm sure most of the public misses: that hard work and hustle and an honesty about yourself will make the day. Mr. Stephens seems to understand that concept quite well, and for that, he deserves respect, and all the free advertising.

Comments

Taralyn said…

...Suddenly I need another lamp.

8:57 AM

US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway

The communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway can all be found along US Route 101 within southern Humboldt County. The former surface alignment of US Route 101 in Garberville and Redway once crossed the Garberville Bluffs along what is now Redwood Drive via a corridor constructed as part of the Redwood Highway during the 1910s. US Route 101 through Benbow, Garberville and Redway was modernized by 1935. US Route 101 would eventually be upgraded to freeway standards in Benbow, Garberville and Redway by extension of the Redwood Freeway during 1966-68. As the cover photo the original grade of US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway can be seen at the Garberville Bluffs during 1934. US Route 101 can be seen in the communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Humboldt County . The history of US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway Benbow, Garberville and Redway lie on the banks of the South Fork Eel River of southern Humboldt County. D

Highways in and around Old Sacramento; US 40, US 99W, CA 16, CA 24, CA 70, CA 99, CA 275, and more

This past weekend I was visiting the City of Sacramento for a wedding. That being the case I decided to head out on a morning run through Old Sacramento, Jibboom Street Bridge, I Street Bridge, Tower Bridge, and path of US Route 40/US Route 99W towards the California State Capitol. My goal was to retrace the paths of the various highways that once traversed the Old Sacramento area. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page. For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page The old highway alignments of Sacramento The City of Sacramento lies at the confluence of the Sacramento River and American River in Sacramento Valley. Sacramento Valley was discovered by Spanish Explorer Gabriel Moraga in 1808. Moraga referred to the fertile Sacramento Valley akin to a "Blessed Sacrament." By 1839 John Sutter Sr. settled in Mexican held

Old Stage Road in Tulare County and Kern County

Old Stage Road is an approximately 30-mile rural highway comprised of Tulare County Mountain Road 1, Kern County Mountain Road 447 and Tulare County Mountain Road 109. Old Stage originates at Jack Ranch Road near Posey and ends at the outskirts of Porterville at Deer Creek. Old Stage Road notably is comprised of two 19th Century stage routes. From White Mountain Road northwest to Fountain Springs, Old Stage Road overlays Thomas Baker's 1860s era stage road to Linn Valley (now Glennville) and the Kern River Gold Rush Claims. From Fountain Springs to Deer Creek, Old Stage Road is comprised of the 1853 Stockton-Los Angeles Road. Featured as the blog cover is the northward descent on Old Stage Road along Arrastre Creek to the town site of White River. What became White River was settled along a spur of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road as "Dog Town" when gold was discovered nearby. By 1856 the community had been renamed Tailholt. A stage road from Tailholt to Linn Valley w