Bobby Cole
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2025
- Messages
- 83
It was the early 60’s (I a young lad) and I did a night time stint at the RKO Orpheum.
Milton Troeller, the manager, was a very obese and overwhelming older man that I quickly took an unliking to or maybe I was simply afraid of the guy.
I do not remember him ever smiling and his demeanor gave everyone no doubts as to who was at the top of the ladder and who was at the bottom.
Alas, it wasn’t until after he died and I was employed elsewhere that I realized how much M. Troeller had taught me.
As an example, when I would ask him a question it was always the same answer: “I don’t know, I just started here so what do you think you should do”?
After I gave an answer he would often make a remark like, “that sounds like the lazy way to do it” or “ do you think that will solve the problem” or “ do you think there might be another and better way to do it”?
Bottom line is that the man I considered to be a sarcastic and overbearing individual at the time was actually the man who led me to and opened the very door to critical thinking, how to gain confidence in myself and how to take the initiative toward excellence.
I still to this day miss Milton Troeller and wish that I could have told him how much he meant to me as a mentor and maybe even in a weird way, a friend.
Milton Troeller, the manager, was a very obese and overwhelming older man that I quickly took an unliking to or maybe I was simply afraid of the guy.
I do not remember him ever smiling and his demeanor gave everyone no doubts as to who was at the top of the ladder and who was at the bottom.
Alas, it wasn’t until after he died and I was employed elsewhere that I realized how much M. Troeller had taught me.
As an example, when I would ask him a question it was always the same answer: “I don’t know, I just started here so what do you think you should do”?
After I gave an answer he would often make a remark like, “that sounds like the lazy way to do it” or “ do you think that will solve the problem” or “ do you think there might be another and better way to do it”?
Bottom line is that the man I considered to be a sarcastic and overbearing individual at the time was actually the man who led me to and opened the very door to critical thinking, how to gain confidence in myself and how to take the initiative toward excellence.
I still to this day miss Milton Troeller and wish that I could have told him how much he meant to me as a mentor and maybe even in a weird way, a friend.
