Never let the truth get in the way of a good story!
Al Pickett has spent a lifetime collecting stories — many of them born from the aisles, back rooms, break rooms, loading docks, offices, classrooms, and unexpected moments that shaped his career.
A proud graduate of Southport High School in Indianapolis, Al went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University while working his way through college in retail. What began as a job as a stockboy grew into a long and varied career in grocery and retail management, including years with A&P, Safeway, Wal-Mart, and Sam’s Club. Later in life, Al earned a Master’s in Education from the University of Indianapolis and transitioned into teaching high school, bringing the same energy, humor, and heart to the classroom that had defined his earlier career.
Throughout every chapter of his life, Al has been known for his integrity, honesty, hard work, and his ability to bring fun and creativity into almost any situation. His stories capture the humor of everyday work, the memorable characters he met along the way, and the lessons that come from a life spent showing up, working hard, and finding something worth laughing about.
This site is an archive of Al’s short stories — a collection of memories, observations, and moments from a career and ongoing adventurous life.
Short Stories
The Brownie and the Billionaire
Through out my fifty-some years on this earth I have had the opportunity to make casual acquaintance with several wealthy people. Some I have worked for and talked to on a daily basis; others from a more distant perspective. I like to group the wealthy people that I have met…
Chuck Roast in Terre Haute
It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down, I had the radio on, I was stocking. Wait a minute, those words are accurate, but sound vaguely like my favorite Tom Petty song. It was a beautiful day in September. One of those rare Indian Summer days with the temperature…
Kurious Kustomers
COMB OR BRUSH I was trying to help an elderly gentleman by pulling his shopping cart to a shorter line and I wasn’t making much progress. The harder I pulled the harder he pulled back. I said “I’ve got a shorter line down here that will save you some waiting…
When the Going Gets Tough
I took about four deep breaths and tried to relax; the GRAND OPENING was over !!! It all started four weeks earlier when the great minds at the corporate office on the east coast decided that our company needed a change in image. The announcement came down: YOUR STORE WILL…
Retail Skits
Remember when you were a kid and you made up shows or plays to put on in the neighborhood. What, you never did that? Boy did you miss out. I think that is where my creative juices started flowing. I remember pretending to be Pat Boone, crooning out the latest…