I was a Tupperware lady. In fact I became a manager of my own unit of salespeople, which gave me use of a company car. I became one of these “party” girls early in our marriage. Our children still needed daddy time at night and it was a source of extra income for us. It also gave me a reason to party several times a week.
In those days, Tupperware was sold on the party plan. Salespeople would take their wares into people’s homes and show them how to use it correctly, getting the most out of the product. I sold a lot of plastic. I’d talk about the necessity of storing food in airtight containers, preventing bug infestation and organizing cupboards. After talking about how many spices should be thrown out shortly after opening, I knew I had them. I know I must have sold at least 5 sets of seasoning containers at each party.
There was one time, as I was traveling to one of these events, that my old Monte Carlo broke down. I was in the middle of a bridge when it happened. Smoke spewed from under the hood and my only choice was to pull over. This was before cell phones, texting or any of that technology stuff. I had no way of calling for help.
A kind man eventually stopped and pushed my car to a safer spot. He then offered to take me to where I was going – which was only a few miles away. Without hesitation, I agreed. I stuffed my huge Tupperware bag into the back seat of his car and we proceeded to the party. On the way, he offered to sell me some frozen meat, which he had in his trunk. Of course, I wasn’t in a position to buy anything at that moment, so I suggested some containers which might work well for keeping the meat fresh.
Every time I think of that truthful story, I wonder how I could’ve been so trusting of a complete stranger. Was I so naïve to think he was just a good Samaritan? Didn’t I know about serial killers? Was I in such a hurry to make a buck, I threw all caution to the wind? I would answer yes to all of these questions. As usual, my guardian angel was watching over me all the way.
I made it safely to my site – completed my demonstration – received several orders for seasoning containers – called my husband to come to my aid and a tow truck to pick up my car. I’m not sure how much money I made that night, but it left me with a story I’ll never forget.
atimetoshare.me 
We still have a couple of those bowls in our cupboard. Do they still make them? Most of our stuff is now Rubbermaid.
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They still make and sell this stuff mainly online. I don’t have much anymore. Gave most of it away.
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Just saw that you read the article…wow….great story!
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Yes I did and it stirred this memory. Loved your article and figured it would take too long to comment so I just wrote my experience.
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I still enjoy my Tupperware. It has held up over the years, and I always liked the colors it came in. You were brave to hop into that car! Glad the story ended happily. 🙂
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God knows I need extra attention so he provided several angels to watch over me.❤️
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you getting in the car with some strange man who took you where you needed to go reminded me of a similar situation, but I wasn’t out selling tupperware.
Early in our marriage, we lived in a small rural town on the border of Alabama and Georgia. As it was a very rural sort of area, there were a fair share of roughnecks as I tend to call them. Of course, there were farmers and town folks but there was a fair share of renegades who lived out in the boonies on many of the endless dirt roads leading from the one state to the next. How anyone really knew if they were in Georgia or in Alabama was just left to some innate knowledge.
There was a cut through road that I could take from the main highway leading into town as a sort of shortcut home. I always called it dumpster road as there were a bunch of garbage dumpsters at one end of the road. It was a heavily tree-lined curvey road filled with deep woods, dotted with a few old farmhouses and trailers.
Well my car, a relatively new Maxima at the time, suddenly just quit.
Out in the middle of dumpster road. As this was a time long before cell phones and it was several good miles until I could walk back up to the main highway in order to look for help
I felt a sense of deep panic setting in.
This was a time we were living in this small town but were working about 30 minutes away in a different city…my husband wouldn’t be home from work for hours.
I was in a word, screwed.
So I did the only thing I could think of…I started walking.
Oh, did I mention it was the middle of summer and it was hot as blazes?
Suddenly a car appeared out of nowhere…an old model Cadillac. A heavyset older man rolled down his window and asked if I could use some help and that he’d be happy to give me a lift.
I really didn’t have much choice so I reluctantly thank him and climbed into the passenger side. He had the AC on full blast and I was thankful.
Driving up the road I did find myslef eyeing the door making certain I could get out in a hurry if need be…but that was the city girl in me being a bit more cautious than the country folks I was now surrounded by.
He carried me home and I graciously thanked him.
I look back thinking how brazen I was or more like stupid. But it was a different time and place…
Folks could be kind and generous and others wouldn’t think anything of it—now-a-days, we all tend to think anyone we don’t know is out to harm us…
Kind of like tupperware…mother had tons of it…I don’t have any….
Oh how I do find myself longing for days of trust and tupperware.
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Great post! It was a different time when we could trust people. It wouldn’t be a wise decision today.
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No, not at all sadly—
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🦋 I was a Tupperware lady too when my children were toddlers…early 1980’s.
🦋 Great story.
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I was in the 70s. I think lots of women did this because it was a means of making a few bucks and getting out of the house for a while.
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I love Tupperware and have a very good friend that still sells it and lets me know when a good sale is going on.
It is amazing how trusting we used to be years ago. I do know for a fact there are still wonderful trustworthy people still out there who will help a person when needed….the problem is being discerning enough to know who they are!
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I think it was because he was a salesman too and knew how much I relied on a sale. I’m sure God was watching out for me too.
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I vaguely remember my mother having a Tupperware party at the house. Those pre-Internet days required people to talk to each other to sell. Amazon is so odd in that respect. Doubt it will entirely become the norm. People are slowly starting to rebel.
The mass media and our public school system have destroyed much of the trust people use to have. People obsess on the danger posed by strangers, but the average Joe, in spite of our nation’s moral decay still doesn’t want to rape and pillage the first ladies stalled cars. Character education is a joke; it cannot replace Biblical instruction. When we are not grounded in the Bible, the world is scarier, and the news media sells fear.
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So true. Had this been this day and age I would have second thoughts about taking that ride. It’s too bad that we have to feel this way.
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My mother was a Tupperware lady. She ask me to assist her helping her carry her products to the party.. It was not my favorite thing to do, yet, i said yes. to help her have more in attendance. Plus i knew several of her prospective members. She was the type of person who could sell to a piece of board and get sales. She sold thru the times the microwave cookware came available. Till she could no longer physically achieve her goals, she had great attendance.
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