Photo by Maria Helena Carey
Guest Post By Malissa Zimmerman
In 2000, I bought a house on Capitol Hill that brought me to Frager’s Hardware more than a few times each week. I had worked in politics since 1995 and enjoyed going to the store “just to see what I needed.”
Soon, I found myself working there on the weekends in the garden center, and then had the opportunity to leave my job in politics and become a full-time employee. I spent a year working in the Lawn and Garden department, then I oversaw the Frager’s house accounts while serving as a manager on duty.
To apply for a job at Frager’s there was a series of tests which included weights, measures, math exercises and other skills. I sweated through it all in the upstairs office and got a call a week later — I was hired, and soon enough, I was there on a bustling Saturday behind the cash register.
I wore a crisp blue shirt and jean shorts. Customers were patient with me as I was a little slow in ringing up their sales. That same day, a contractor kindly pointed out that my zipper was down. I was embarrassed, but the day moved so fast. At the end of the day, the closing greeting was unique to Frager’s, which contained phrases from a song “whoop there it is” to “remember my walkie talkies.”
I thought I would be at Frager’s for six months “to catch my breath.” But instead, my career lasted five years, and it was filled with laughter, hugs and tears. I got to know the community; early mornings with parents and young children letting the other parent sleep; the dog walkers, the contractors and so many more.
I learned some basic plumbing and electricity. I helped customers find a “donut for the toilet” (a wax ring) and “dinosaur pliers” (channel locks). I served customers from all walks of life. I assisted a senator who I once worked on opposing issues and saw him in another light as he told me about his granddaughter. I met an elderly woman who was born a few blocks over and told me about the trolley cars on local streets. Through the years I assisted customers with their projects large and small, including the special orders for things like 50 lbs. of duck food and crates of white t-shirt rags. Frager’s was more than a job as I came to know the customers and community.
After six years at Frager’s, I returned to a desk job. It was quite an adjustment the first few weeks. It was quiet, no walkies squawking. My desk seemed bare compared to the communal desk at Frager’s where a chainsaw once sat. I got itchy on nice days, when I wanted to go outside and work in the garden. Even after I left Frager’s and went to the store as a customer, I still found myself helping people.
Last Wednesday, I watched the flames with my former co-workers from a distance. I am sad the store is gone and the loss is more than a building. I’m hopeful that it will rebuild stronger and better than before with the same spirit and Frager’s family.