Many years ago I worked for an attorney in Sevier County. I was young and naive. Raised in a church oriented family (my dad was a preacher), I had very little actual knowledge of the world. We didn’t have television and the only “news” I read was the comic section. Consequently, I did not know about a lot of things.

One day the attorney I was working for buzzed me on the intercom and asked me to bring him a light. Hanging up the phone, I looked around the office and the storage room but couldn’t find any flashlights. I did find a small lamp that could be easily carried and took it to the back office. Walking into his office, I asked him if this light would work.

He looked at me like I was a crazy person; holding up his cigar he said I need a light, go get some matches or something.

Feeling like a fool, I left the office and ran across the street to the drugstore to purchase matches.

Unfortunately for me, that was not the only time I had a social faux paux while working for him.

On secretary’s day he took me to the local country club for lunch. The waitress came up and asked me what I wanted to drink and I said a coke would be fine. The waitress then asked me if I wanted that on the rocks. Not knowing what “on the rocks” was, I said no thank you. Mr. May spoke up and said yes she does. Since I didn’t drink and I was at a country club, I was afraid to drink my coke without knowing what “on the rocks” really was — it’s a good thing they also served water!

After getting home, I asked my dad what “on the rocks” meant. We all had a good laugh after he told me it meant coke with ice.