{"id":6497,"date":"2023-01-31T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=6497"},"modified":"2023-01-30T15:48:37","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T20:48:37","slug":"137-hookers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/137-hookers\/","title":{"rendered":"#137\u2014Hookers\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Who said, \u201cIn war, there are no unwounded soldiers.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. In what movie, and who said it, did we hear, \u201cI fart in your general direction.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. In what song, and who sang it, did we hear:
    Heaven’s just a sin away, oh-whoa, just a sin away<\/em>
    I can’t wait another day, I think I’m giving in<\/em>
    I love to hold you tight, oh-whoa, be with you tonight<\/em>
    But that still won’t make it right ’cause I belong to him<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n
    <\/div>
    Blog #137 (Audio)<\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>

    Blog #137 – Hookers…<\/p>\n<\/div>

    Published: <\/span>January 30, 2023<\/span><\/div>
    <\/div>Audio by Andy Adkins<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/span>0<\/span> Downloads<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    This past weekend, I took part in the Sunshine State Book Festival<\/strong>, an annual event for authors and publishers. Over 150 authors were there, including me. Like many others, I had several stacks of my books, ready to sell.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Andy
    Andy Adkins, 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Before I go any further in this blog post, let me tell you\u2026 I\u2019m not<\/em> trying to sell you any books. That\u2019s not the purpose of \u201cA Veteran\u2019s Journey<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My primary goal with my blog is twofold: one, it allows me to consistently write and hopefully, by writing more, I can expand my writing abilities. Lord knows I need help. And two, it helps me stay connected with other Navy veterans\u2014heck, other veterans around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, there you have it. Back to the book festival\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is only my second experience setting up a 2\u2019 x 4\u2019 booth at a book event and sharing a table with another author. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And before you ask\u2026 I sold a total of five (5) books and traded three (3). It\u2019s not a money-maker. And besides, I\u2019m already retired and fortunately, don\u2019t need the money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But the experience\u2026 well, that\u2019s the magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cHooks\u201d to Draw People In<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Back in the day when I was a legal technology consultant, I attended many conferences (ABA Techshow<\/strong> & LegalTech<\/strong>). I spend many hours walking the aisles, checking out the various software and hardware systems and eventually, when I became a news columnist for Law Office Computing<\/strong> Magazine, I\u2019d spend more time talking with the vendors. I met many great folks who are still at it today\u2026 many I still call \u201cmy family away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It was always interesting to see how the vendor(s) would draw you into their booth, or \u201chook\u201d you into stepping closer for a more informal chat.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Andy
    Andy Adkins, LegalTech\/New York 2003<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    \u201cNice tie,\u201d I\u2019d often hear\u2014many times I\u2019d wear a red, white, blue American tie, especially after 9\/11. I also wore a huge black cowboy hat, Not that I\u2019m a cowboy, but when you\u2019re 6\u20194\u201d tall and wear a big black cowboy hat, people can easily find you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But when I\u2019d hear \u201cnice tie,\u201d that got my attention, so I\u2019d step in closer, check out the goods and spend a little time with the vendor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A few times, I\u2019d have my own exhibit booth. While the \u201cnice tie\u201d comment often worked for men, I couldn\u2019t say that to women. Well, except for one or two. So I\u2019d smile and say, \u201cnice shoes.\u201d I\u2019d either get a polite, \u201cthank you\u201d in return and\u2026 hopefully draw her in closer to begin my, \u201cI\u2019m one of only a handful of truly independent legal technology consultants in the country\u201d spiel, or I\u2019d get an impolite eye roll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yeah\u2026 it was a tough business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sometimes, It Gets Ugly<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Then there was that time at a Florida Bar Annual Meeting\/Conference where a couple of really nice-looking women (\u201cringers\u201d) were manning an exhibit booth. Both wore slim, tight-fitting dresses\u2014one in red, one in blue\u2014and both standing tall in 6\u201d stiletto heels. And, to top that off, they offered warm cookies to anyone and everyone. Needless to say, there was a constant line at their booth. I still can\u2019t remember what they were selling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What got me, though, was next to the \u201cringer\u201d booth, was an older gentleman\u2026 an expert witness, specializing in pathology. Even though he was well known in the legal industry, nobody stopped by to talk with him. So on Day 2 of the conference, he set up a small projector in his booth and placed the screen on the side next to the ringer table. Everyone who visited the \u201cringers\u201d would also see his projected images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Needless to say, a pathologist who displays images of his work (that is, human body organs\u2026 in color!), next to a booth that serves warm chocolate chip cookies served by beautiful women doesn\u2019t necessarily draw in crowds. But on Day 2, there weren\u2019t as many visitors to the ringer booth as on Day 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Lesson learned!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A Potential Customer<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Once the festival opened, people drifted in and out, like many other festivals. With 150 authors exhibiting, people took their time, browsing, reading, and chatting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When someone passed by the booth and glanced over at my books, I\u2019d usually stand up and greet them, asking if they were looking for anything in particular. If that opened the conversation\u2014as opposed to them saying \u201cno, thank you,\u201d and moving on\u2014then I\u2019d start my spiel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I thought about tossing out a \u201cnice shoes\u201d comment, but I\u2019m far too old for that. Besides, I didn\u2019t want to show off my knowledge (as opposed to my confidence) of asking if they liked their Pumps, their Sling Backs, their T-Straps, their Mules, their Ankle Boot, or their Wedges, but I backed off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A side note\u2026 I\u2019m working on a new novel and attempting to write better descriptions, both for men and women. So, I turned to Dr. Google to research women\u2019s shoes. The next day, both Google and Facebook began showing me ads for women\u2019s shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yeah\u2026 so much for Internet privacy, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Launch the Alert 5!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Anyway, once I began talking about my writing genre\u2014military<\/em>\u2014I talked about World War II<\/strong> (my dad\u2019s experiences), Vietnam<\/strong> (I\u2019m a Vietnam \u201cera\u201d veteran\u2026 \u201973-77), and my novel, NEVER FORGET<\/a><\/strong>, which combines World War II and Vietnam (a father & son journey). That usually started off the conversation. Over the years, I\u2019ve learned that most people have some sort of connection to the four wars: WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and GWOT, whether it was a father or uncle, a brother or cousin, or they themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It’s always interesting to me listening to others\u2019 experiences, whether it be the war itself, or their family member who served. Most of those who I spoke with whose fathers fought in World War II (like my dad and my wife\u2019s dad), said the same thing: \u201cthey never talked about it.\u201d I guess it was just a different generation. I\u2019m fortunate enough that my dad left a diary\u2026 a journal\u2026 about his war experiences. And I\u2019m grateful I could publish, You Can\u2019t Get Much Closer Than This<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, back in 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Vietnam War veterans and their families are, from my experience, a little more open to conversation, but they rarely like to talk about the war itself. Unless there\u2019s a common connection. Even though I was not boots on the ground in Vietnam and I enlisted when the war was winding down, it\u2019s still something that affected my generation. And, with the research\u2014both reading and interviewing Vietnam veterans\u2014for my NEVER FORGET<\/strong> book, I know enough to talk about generalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Veteran Experiences<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    There were only a few authors at the Book Festival selling military books. Some were veterans and some of their books were memoirs, while others were fiction or non-fiction. I\u2019d written both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But the most interesting (and entertaining) thing for me was visiting with those who stopped by my booth. I met many other veterans, as well as veteran families. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines (no Coast Guard this time). It turns out the president of the association is a former 31-year Marine<\/strong> veteran. He is a pirate re-enactor and has written a couple of books about pirates. And yes, at the festival, he was in his pirate garb. He’d rather talk about pirates than the Marines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I also met and spoke at length with an Air Force<\/strong> Special Ops veteran\u201427 years. He\u2019d been all over the world, started his career as an enlisted man, then worked his way up and eventually became an officer. He\u2019s worked with all the U.S. military branches and a few allied militaries. He\u2019d spent time on a few carriers (not Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong>), though we didn\u2019t get into specifics, which I fully understand. But he knew and understood the culture. Frankly, I think he preferred to be on land\u2026 Air Force\u2026  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I shared a booth with a woman author, a little older than I, but also local. Interestingly, her husband also attended and spent a lot of time in the booth. He was a 20-year Navy<\/strong> veteran officer. We shared many<\/em> experiences\u2014his 20 years versus my 4 years. I believe he mentioned he\u2019d been in the Gulf of Tonkin on several cruises during the Vietnam War. He spent most of his time in CIC, which he seemed to enjoy. But me\u2026 I worked on the flight deck and appreciated all the hustle & bustle up there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But whether you\u2019re an officer or an enlisted man, we\u2019re all veterans and still carry many of the same traits as we did years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Comparing Experiences<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    One thing that stood out to me, as I spoke with these other veterans, was that we all described our military experience as one that helped set our journey through life. After all, most of us enlisted when we were 17, 18, or 19 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These are my words, not necessarily theirs, but we all agreed that the discipline, comradery, training, and teamwork all contributed to success. And I\u2019m not talking about \u201cmoney\u201d success, but successful in whatever endeavors we tackled. That\u2019s what I call \u201cA Veteran\u2019s Confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I spoke with several veterans who either served aboard aircraft carriers or who\u2019d been on a Westpac. A few had served on the East Coast, but it seemed more Navy veterans at this festival in Florida spent time on the West Coast. Go figure!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When I talk to another veteran about their overseas experiences, many times we\u2019ll share the at sea experience. But more likely, we turn to liberty and overseas ports. Mine are limited. On Westpac \u201975, our overseas forward deployment was PI (Philippine Islands), so that\u2019s where we spend most of our time when not at sea. Other than that, we visited Hong Kong and Japan. And, of course, I\u2019d spent 15 months at NAS Agana, Guam, prior to reporting aboard USS Kitty Hawk <\/em><\/strong>(CV-63) in March 1975.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The bars, the music, the food, and, of course, the \u201cladies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Speaking of Hookers<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Oh yeah\u2026 speaking of \u201chookers\u2026\u201d you were probably wondering when I\u2019d get around to that. To tell you the truth, I used the term, \u201chooker,\u201d in the title of this blog post to see if you\u2019d read it. Did the \u201chook\u201d work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m not sure where the term originated, or when, for that matter. But my experience in the Navy\u2026 well, let\u2019s just say the hookers in PI, Hong Kong, Guam, Japan, and heck\u2026 even Hawaii and San Diego were all \u201cdifferent.\u201d Let\u2019s also \u201cjust say for purposes of this blog\u201d that the cost differences between hiring\u2026 \u201cNavy Relief\u201d\u2026 were similar to the cost differences between buying beer in these different ports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019d shared this before\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Back in the mid-70s, a beer cost $1.50 a bottle in Guam, 40 pisos ($.45 USD) in the Philippines, $4 HK ($.85 USD) in Hong Kong, and 400 Yen ($1.30 USD) in Japan. It\u2019s a crude way of comparing currency, but you get the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And\u2026 I think I\u2019ll leave it right there.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Until we meet again,
    Andy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Answers<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Jos\u00e9 Narosky.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail<\/em><\/strong> (1975), the French Soldier (John Cleese).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Heaven\u2019s Just a Sin Away<\/em><\/strong> (1977), The Kendalls; written by Jerry Gillespie.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Andy Adkins<\/strong> is a US Navy veteran (\u201973-77) and the author of several books, including You Can\u2019t Get Much Closer Than This-Combat with the 80th \u201cBlue Ridge\u201d Division in World War II Europe<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, published by Casemate Publishers (2005) and selected as the Book of the Month for the Military Book Club. His newest novel, NEVER FORGET<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, is the story of A Vietnam Veteran\u2019s Journey for Redemption & Forgiveness<\/em>; NEVER FORGET<\/strong> is offered as a FREE (PDF, eBook format) download. Adkins also writes a weekly blog, \u201cA Veteran\u2019s Journey.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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