sarge the fish guy
by jeanne charters

When Julie Parker announced that this issue would be focused on “men we love”, THREE women on the WNC Woman Board of Directors jumped to their feet and nominated “Sarge” … the fish guy!

Who was this mysterious purveyor of deep sea delicacies, I wondered? What is the secret of his tremendous appeal to these three very hip, very centered females?
Well, Julie asked me to do the interview with Sarge, and I delighted at the fact that I would get to know this paragon of manhood a bit better. I was not disappointed!

Michael Sargent, “Sarge”, is the manager of the Seafood Department at the Ingles store on Merrimon Avenue. He is a native of Asheville. His physique is not imposing. He is, in fact, slight of build, with sandy brown hair and wears glasses. But behind those glasses, his eyes dance and sparkle like gemstones. This is a guy who is excited to be alive and has no desire to do anything except make people happy.
When Sarge isn’t selecting the perfect cut of fish, giving tips on how to prepare it and telling his customers the corniest jokes on earth, he volunteers as an auctioneer for charities and organizations. His favorite volunteer position is when he plays Santa for friends’ children and at Christmas parties. He dusts off his Santa suit and puts on the music of “2001 Space Odyssey” to psyche himself up. Sarge is never happier than when he has a child on his lap hearing that child’s dreams for Christmas. You see, this man believes he IS Santa. After this interview, I think he just might be right.

Here’s a sampling of Sarge comments:

“I grew up with a stepfather, and it behooved me to make him happy. Also, growing up as such a little bitty man, I soon learned that I was too small to fight, so I’d better make other men happy as well. This was particularly true when I was in the army and I was called Private Sargent. In order to survive, I needed to be fun to be around.

Way back in high school, I knew that I wanted to be around food and people. I’m proud to say that I have never missed a Bele Chere in 25 years because where else can I be around so many people at once.

I had never met a better woman than my mom. She was and is an inspiration to me always. Then, after coming out of the service, I met the woman who would become my wife. She was a student at UNCA. She told me, ‘I won’t go out with you unless you’re in school.’ I said to her … not even one date?? No sir, she wouldn’t. So I enrolled in the Restaurant Management program at AB Tech. My wife and I have been married for 30 years now, and I’ve only slept away from her twice. I love that woman. (Sorry, girls! This man is TAKEN!!)

Another great woman in my life was my mother-in-law who passed away in June. Years ago, she told me that she would buy me a house and let me pay her back for it … if I would quit smoking. I must have quit nearly 100 times during all those years. Finally, in 1992, I did it. I substituted running for smoking. Recently, I ran 10 miles up Sunset Mountain. When I was near the top, I came upon a little girl who, unlike the other children who were handing out water, handed me a handful of leaves. Although I was nearly ready to quit, that bunch of leaves from that child carried me to the top.

I’ve been blessed to have good women in my life!

So now, when a woman comes to my counter to buy my fish, I always think that she could be my mother or my sister or my wife or my daughter, and I treat her accordingly.”

When asked for his philosophy of life, Sarge quoted a Bible verse: “Above all else, guard your heart, for your heart is the story of your life.”

Sarge’s positive attitude extends to his employees. He has the best retention rate of any Ingles’ Manager. He’s had the same crew for 6 years. Recently, he hired Kendrich, a 16-year-old African American student at Asheville High. Kendrich started telling Sarge that he wanted to work for him when he was 11 years old. On his 16th birthday, he showed up at the fish counter, and Sarge hired him on the spot. Kendrich is in the top 5% of his high school class scholastically and is one of Sarge’s most dependable employees.

In spite of the fact that Sarge is in the best position of his life: in synch with his God, his family and his job, he lives with many insecurities. He has never missed one day of work and never been late, but he lives in fear that he will be fired. He never leaves his wife without an “I love you” because he fears that when he comes home, she may be gone.

It’s hard to imagine that this sparkling, happy man is riddled with such fears; but he is a worrier, sometimes losing sleep over perceived or real problems. A good friend, Bill Walz, who is a teacher at UNCA and a Zen therapist, gave him a phrase that Sarge tries to live by to this day. He said, “Sarge, get out of your head and into your senses.” Sarge credits Bill for much of his present peace of mind.

Sarge, of course, could not resist ending our interview with one of his jokes. “Why wouldn’t they let the butterfly come to the dance? Because it was a moth ball!”

Oh, Sarge, thank you for your jokes, your sparkle and your kindness to all who come into your sphere of influence. You are a man we love!

Jeanne Charters lives in Fairview with her husband, Matt Restivo. A former V.P. of Marketing for Viacom Television, she started her own award-winning broadcast advertising agency in 1990. [charmkt@juno.com; 828-628-0023]