THE WOMAN WHO COULDN’T RETIRE Storeowner and Grandma to Ballplayers, Cowboys, and Cowgirls
	OCTOBER 2004

by Helen Meyers

From time-to-time my life has been moved in some interesting directions by what seems like whim or chance. For example, we moved to Brentwood because of a horse. We came here from Concord because my daughter, Sherry, loved horses. We had an opportunity to buy a place in Brentwood and provide a place for the horse she longed to be with.

Moving from Retirement into Business
We were able to make this move, back in 1968, because I had just retired from a position with the County. The move turned out to be a pretty good decision since my daughter really did become an avid horsewoman and, more than that, she herself gave birth to a couple genuine cowboy and a budding cowgirl.

After moving here I became great friends with Barbara Guise, former Mayor of Brentwood. Barbara encouraged me to join the local Soroptimist Club. “I can’t do that,” I protested. “You have to be a business owner to belong to that organization.”

“Well, that’s no problem,” Barbara said, “We’ll just find you a business.”

Barbara found out that Irene’s Dress Shop was up for sale. So in 1976 I became a downtown business owner and a member of the Soroptimist Club almost in the same breath.

I kept the name “Irene” in the store’s title because that business was the first dress shop in Brentwood. It had been selling dresses under that name since the guys who would fight in Korea were still in knee pants.

I’ve had a wonderful time as a Soroptimist. Our club does a lot of things for our community — many of which local people don’t even know about.

You would think a person in her retirement would be content to own and manage a single store, but I opened a second shop, my Weather Vane Western Wear Store, in 1979.

Just like the decision to buy in Brentwood for the sake of my daughter’s horse in the first place, I opened the Weather Vane because of another daughter, Corky. She was living at the time in Elk Grove and the store became available in that community. My daughter thought it would be a good idea for me to have a store in her area. So at her encouraging, I bought the place.

The next year Barbara Guise and I became partners in my third shop, the Health Hut.

Corky soon moved on to other things so I moved the Weather Vane to Brentwood in 1980. Three years ago I liquidated Irene’s and my grandson helped me move the Weather Vane into the vacated building, which is the current Oak Street location.

Bringing up Cow-pokes
My daughter, Sherry, turned into a real cowgirl and some of my grandkids are following in her steps. My 28-year old grandson is developing his skills as competition roper. My 12-year granddaughter already is competing in the Junior Rodeo, barrel racing, and goat tying, among other things.

My 18-year old grandson, Colin, is turning into a real champion cowboy. Colin does everything — saddle bronc, bull riding, steer wrestling, roping….

We’re pretty proud of this boy. When he was only 16 he won first place in both bull riding and cutting in the High School State Finals competition. Last year in Red Bluff he won the trophy for all-around cowboy.

Colin is now attending Cuesta Junior College in San Luis Obispo, riding with the Cal Poly rodeo team.

As I write this, Colin is getting ready for the College National Rodeo Finals in Casper Wyoming. And I’m going too!  I wouldn’t miss this! We’re leaving in a few days and I’m going to be the first one in the truck!

My daughter, Sherry, has quit riding herself. She’s too busy these days trailering horses to events that my grandkids are participating in.

With all the horses we’ve had, my western wear store, and the grandchildren competing in horse riding and rodeo events, I feel that we’re sure doing our part to maintain continuity with the rural culture that is, after all, formed our Brentwood roots.

I’m an avid football fan, a long-time rooter for the Pirates and Steelers. My grandchild, Charlie is nine-year-old baseball player and his sister, Lauren, is a 12-year softball player, currently in a tournament.

Thriving Amidst Change
Since moving here in 1968, nothing in this area has remained the same. When I first moved to Brentwood, I worked for a short time for a local fuel company. I remember billing farmers and ranchers for diesel fuel at the rate of 14.9 cents per gallon. I guess the current price is about 15 times more than what Diablo Petroleum sold it for in 1968.That enormous amount of change in fuel prices somewhat typifies the degree of change I’ve observed over the years in every other part of our East County community.

For example, we bought our place out in the country far past all the stores and homes. It was part of the farmland and wilderness areas along Fairview. Of course, our land is now right in the middle of a bunch of new homes.

I’m continually amazed at how much the area around our one-acre ranch has changed. Back in the ’60s a family moving into a new home in the neighborhood was a matter of interest and comment by other residents.

Now it sometimes seems like new homes have gone up in the area and new people moved in since the last time I drove to town.

Downtown Brentwood has changed a lot, as well, since I opened my shop in 1976. Back in those days the downtown streets were often deep in dirt from the beginning of the harvest until its end because of the lettuce and produce trucks that were passing by in an endless stream bringing freshly harvested crops from the fields into the packing plants that in those days were located on every block, it seems.

You can’t stop the wheels of progress, people say. And I guess its true. Downtown business owners like me, who have been around for decades, get a kind of comfort out of complaining about how everything has changed, I think. The fact is that most of us have been waiting a long time for the population boom to bring us more customers.

There’s a downside to this, of course, since the retail giants — the “big boxes” — are coming in along with the people.

The Downtown Business Advantage
The area growth has been a financial wash for me personally. I’m holding my own with my Weather Vane Western Store because of the quality of my products and service. You can buy boots in my store that they never heard of at Payless. And you can buy belts, hats, and gear from me that you sure can’t buy at any Penny’s or Walmart.

My business caters to discriminating cowboys and cowgirls, whether they work stock every day, participate in animal competitions and shows of one kind or another, or are members of the “cowboy what never rode a cow” just-in-it-for-the-style bunch. I’ve got customers from all three categories.

Some of the customers from all three of those groups have become my friends, as well.

That personal interest is another quality separating my business from the big box retailers. If you come to my store I’ll talk to you personally about what you need. I’m here seven days a week; I know the stuff I sell.

I tell my clerks, “Everyone who comes through that door is somebody. Let’s treat them that way.

The next time you come to my store (all right, maybe the time after that), I’ll know your name.

When you’re in my store, I’m going to be looking at you. I’m not thinking about something else. And, as a bonus, you can talk to me about your own grandkids or, depending upon your age, about your own grandparents. I’ll be interested in you as a person.

Downtown Goodness
We were talking the other day about our customers from years ago. Back in the old days I knew every person by name who walked through the door. Now there are a lot new faces. The beautiful part about downtown Brentwood is that the place still seems full of friendly people. In that most important way it is just like the old days around here.

Whatever the explanation, I meet some friendly people every day who I never saw before. And those new friends seem just as sociable and willing to be friends as the old ones who were coming in here 25 years ago.

The customers make this job fun and interesting. I enjoy coming to work.

I’m 78 years old. I work seven days a week. I’m on my feet the whole time; I don’t like sitting down. Working in my store isn’t a burden for me because there’s nothing I would rather be doing. I love to come downtown, meet my old friends, and make some new ones.

My life is infinitely better than it would be sitting home watching soap operas and talking with people on the telephone. I wouldn’t what to do with myself if I couldn’t get out.

In my “free time” I work on projects to beautiful our town and improve community service. A few years ago I joined an ad hoc community effort to build the fountain on the corner of Oak and First Street. We were just a handful of resident volunteers who thought we should have a downtown fountain. We got some plans, started talking it up in the community, and organized fundraisers.

We were told that in order to do this officially we would have to become art commissioners. So now I am a member of the Brentwood Arts Commission and a Board Member of the Brentwood Art Society. I’m also on the Board of Directors for Delta Community Services.

Being a member of the two art organizations has been a growth experience for me personally. I’m living proof that, with the right attitude, a person is never too old to learn. I always thought that art meant beautiful pictures — of a sunset, for example, or of a cowboy riding on a horse. I’ve learned that art includes a world of creative expression beyond mere pictures. I’m learning about media and artists.

So maybe I’m getting older, but sometimes I feel like a schoolgirl since I’m getting smarter, learning new things everyday about the world we live in, and enjoy hanging out and laughing with my friends.

“The best things in life are free.” That’s my motto. A hello, a handshake, and a hug don’t cost a thing. So why not do as much of that as possible?

I’m having a great time and for the past four decades, or so, really have been enjoying my “retirement.” Of course, I’m not really retired at all. I never understood people who couldn’t think of anything to do during their retirement. All I can think about is what I’m going to do next in this adventure that I’m living every day.