RECORD STORE TALES #882: The Day KK Came Back
Working retail means you can’t control who you see on a day-to-day basis. Faces from the past are part of the job. Teachers, old neighbours, bullies, and so on. Sometimes it’s not a face you really cared to see again. For example, there was this one kid named Terry Moulton from grade school. He was known as a burnout even in grade eight. The word in class is that he would skip to go and smoke pot with his dad. One day I was working and who should show up to sell me some used CDs but Terry. He recognized me. I’m not so good with faces from the that long ago, but I remembered the name. I made him a generous offer on the discs, and asked for his ID. We had to ask for ID in order to buy anything used from the public. Part of theft prevention. Of course Terry didn’t have any ID so I skipped that part for him as a favour. I asked for his address and he didn’t even have a fixed address. I broke a few bi-laws by buying discs from him that day.
My journal records another encounter with a forgotten face from the Catholic school days.
Kevin Kirby’s name was ingrained in my memory even if I didn’t recognize his face. Kirby was into metal when none of the other kids were. He had Black Sabbath, Van Halen and Ozzy records thanks to an older sister. He was my “friend” I guess. Friends by circumstance, not by choice? Frenemies? He copied my homework. He pushed me around. He made fun of me. Once he picked on me, and I fought back, so he cried to his mom about it. His mom called the school.
According to my journal the last time I saw him was in 2004.
Date: 2004/08/04
An interesting day, thus far.
A couple assholes, but not many in general.
Saw Jessica, waved hello.*
Then a dude with a mullet came in. Bought a CD. Asked if I remembered him. He knew my name. Kevin Kirby it was…guy who used to pick on me in grade eight. Nice to see ya, pal.
He might have been into good music, but he was a prick to me in our last year of school together. Don’t care if I ever see him again.
* Jessica was Money Mart Girl who I had a crush on.