To Be Like Sam

If you are lucky, you meet people along the way that you admire. They have a certain quality, a special light, something about them that is so good that they inspire you to be a better person. You just know that when you see them, you can't help but smile.

One of the people that I admire most here in Hartsville is Sam Ingram. I met Sam when I worked at the Darlington County Disability and Special Needs Board back in 2001. He was working for the yard crew back in those days, and was in charge of cutting the grass at the Scott Center location on Damascus Church Road. He bounded over to my truck, the infamous late junky Sally Suburban, and extended his hand to me. "Hey there, I'm Sam! Pleased to meet ya!"

From that day on, Sam has never ceased to make me smile. He'd tell me when I needed an umbrella, told me about his dream of having a full time job, and about how people "just don't work hard". He eventually went on to work at Winn Dixie, riding his bicycle from his home in such good time that he was always early. He did his job so well that people would request him to bag their groceries. He was worried when Wal Mart opened, fearing it would hurt Winn Dixie. All the while, he shared his goal of getting a full time job one day, "One with forty hours a week and benefits, that's all I'm prayin' for."

Two years ago, his prayer was answered. Sam got his dream job, delivering furniture for Badcock Home Furnishing & More. I'll never forget how proud he was when he told me the good news! You've never seen anyone more proud. He stops me in town every so often to tell me tales of bringing orders to far-off customers, of the beautiful new furniture, and of every sale. Since the new building first broke ground, he has been looking forward to the grand opening.



Badcock Home Furniture & More Grand Opening
(Grand opening of the Badcock Home Furniture & More, 310 Hartsville Crossing Blvd, Hartsville, 11:00 a.m. September 8, 2006)



Badcock Home Furnishing & More Grand Opening, Ribbon Cutting
(Sam, grinning in the back row during the ribbon cutting at the Badcock Home Furnishing & More Grand Opening)

Sam brought me over to meet Ruth Thomas, the new Executive Director of the Darlington County Disability and Special Needs Board. She told me how proud she is of "her baby", and posed for a photograph.





Proud Pair at the Badcock Home Furnishing & More Ribbon Cutting
(Sam Ingram with Ruth Thomas, Executive Director of the Darlington County Disability and Special Needs Board- Scott Center..... shortly after the ribbon cutting ceremony for the store's new location in Hartsville Crossing.)

Sam's mother watched him, proudly, and agreed that Sam is "such a hard worker- he never slows down!"



Mother and Son
(Sam Ingram with his proud mother inside the beautiful new Badcock Furniture Store.)

Since I was at the ceremony at Sam's request, and wouldn't have ordinarily attended such an event, I didn't know what to expect. What happened is that I learned that the store's owner has a big heart: owner Joe Banasiewicz thanked the crowd at Badcock's, proudly acknowleged the compliments from the Badcock's corporate heads, and presented a large check for $1,000 to the Good Samaritan Community. (they are the folks that do that great BBQ Fundraiser at the new location just as they used to do at the old location on 5th Street) And, best of all, he hired my inspirational friend, Sam Ingram- proudest member of the Badcock Home Furnishing & More team in Hartsville for 2 full years.



Badcock Home Furnishing & More, a furniture store with heart
((left to right) The proudest employee of Badcock's, Sam Ingram, with his boss, Joe Banasiewicz.)

If we were all like Sam, we'd be excited to go to work each day; we'd be proud of where we worked, get there early, and put in 100% effort. With a smile and a friendly wave, it's people like Sam that make life in Hartsville a little sweeter.