There is a certain cadence to the way Dennis Tedford speaks. It’s fast, vibrant and full of dramatic pauses matched only by his constant gesticulation. He thinks before he speaks, carefully choosing his words, but his eyes say almost as much as his voice. And his charm and charisma are almost off the charts.
Tedford, 42, is a familiar member of the Columbus community, now having served more than seven years as the manager of the Palmer Home Thrift Store, which he calls “the best job ever.”
“I’ve never had a better job,” he said. “I come to work everyday at 7:30 (a.m.), count down the tills and expect the unexpected. You never know what’s going to come in on the truck and you never know who is going to come in. Everybody comes in, from the top of the social ladder to the bottom. We get a very eclectic group of people everyday. It’s like working in a reality (TV) show.”
Eclectic is a word Tedford uses frequently, from his “eclectic group of friends” to Columbus’ “eclectic downtown,” and it may be the best way to describe him. He’s a socialite, with urban sensibilities from his time spent in New York, but he’s also a Southern gentleman, who hasn’t lost his childlike innocence when it comes to helping mankind.
“I see this job as a mission,” Tedford said. “I see this as a way for me to help children, who have had very hard lives. I want to make the world a better place. I think there needs to be more tolerance in the world. There is always room for improvement. I don’t have a lot of patience and it is something I’m working on. I think we are all continuing to grow. People think the South is very judgmental, but I think the South totally rocks. The most hospitable people in the world live here. There’s a real sense of people having each other’s back in the South.”
A graduate of Lee High School, Tedford said he loved school, referring to his school days as “the best days of my life.” And it’s the people of Columbus he admires the most.
“Columbus is awesome,” he said. “The downtown area is the best part. I love the people here, too. I have a great group of friends.”
When asked what he doesn’t like about Columbus, Tedford paused for an extended period of time before stating, “I don’t like the traffic on Highway 45.”
The Palmer Home Thrift Store is a wonderland for bargain seekers and collectors. Noting aisles filled with dishes, picture frames and record players, as well as rows of vintage T-shirts and mesh-backed trucker hats, Tedford said the shop is a popular Columbus attraction.
“I see between 100 to 200 customers a day,” said Tedford. “People are always looking for a great find like antique furniture or vintage clothing. I’ve seen every type of donation you can think of from cars to old Star Wars figures. I’ve even had someone looking for a massage table.”
Sitting at a vintage table with kitsch items placed carefully on its top, Tedford’s voice drops when he talks about one of the more traumatic times of his life.
“I was supposed to have met a friend at the World’s Trade Center on September 11, (2001)” he said, the sparkle in his eyes subsiding. “But she wasn’t able to go because of work, and I was in New Jersey and couldn’t make it. I really freaked out when I saw it going down on TV. I kept thinking, I was supposed to be there. But God really looked out for me. This really hit me hard. I am so thankful to God. I decided then and there I was going to live my life to the fullest. No one is promised tomorrow.”
“I love my life; I have a great life,” he added. “I enjoy every moment that I’m alive.”
Jeff Clark was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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