Catching up with Milton's sign walker

MILTON — If your daily commute ever brings you through downtown Milton, it is likely you have noticed 20-year-old Shannon Dehlin, the sign walker for Where the Heart Is, a mattress and furniture store on Caroline Street. 

Shannon can be seen at the storefront on any given day, at any given time, rocking his 6-foot-tall sign, earbuds in, face mask on and Pikachu hat upon his head. 

A picture of Shannon in front of the store was posted on Facebook back in January and has since acquired more than 150 shares. Residents commented about how hard of a worker he is, even saying things like “he is my hero,” making Shannon somewhat of a local celebrity. 

Jessica Williams, the store's owner, said that people drive by and yell at him all the time to “get a job,” and she wants people to know that he has a well-paying job that he enjoys. He received a raise in January and will be getting a free, one-hour massage once a month for all of his hard work. 

Here, we catch up with Shannon and what it feels like to receive this kind of attention. 

How long have you worked at Where the Heart Is? 

I’ve worked here since last August, so nine or 10 months. 

What are your hours like? 

It fluctuates a lot because we have a new location (in Pensacola) and I’m working there two days a week. Currently, my hours have switched to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. four days a week, and Sunday is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. So currently I am working 38 hours a week. I started at two days a week.

 What made you want to work at the store? 

I was looking for any other job than working where I was at the time, and she (Jessica) needed a sign walker so I came and did that, because she offered me $9 an hour which was more than what they were paying at (a local grocery store), and they were giving me so few hours. 

Does your job get exhausting, moving the sign around so much? 

Let’s think, you’re completely unfit, you never leave the house, you never do anything, and suddenly you’re outside for six hours during the summer, it’s a hundred degrees outside, and you’re waving a sign all day. And then, you keep [working] more days and getting more hours. 

So it’s gotten easier since you started? 

Eventually, I had something to play music on, and the temperature started going down, and suddenly it wasn’t that bad. 

It’s made it to where I can come back around August, doing as much work as I do now in 100-degree weather, and I will be perfectly fine because I am conditioned to it and I gained some muscle. 

I also dance to whatever music I’m listening to, which helps a lot. It’s so much more dead if you don’t. 

Do you have any other responsibilities at the store? 

Occasionally, when she needs someone else to go on deliveries, I’ll go, but that’s not too often. 

Do you go to school? 

Not right now. I keep meaning to do something about college, but instead, I’m busy working all the time. 

Do you have any special interests or hobbies? 

Well, you see the hat and the mask. I like Pokémon, I like anime in general. 

Do you live in Milton? 

Yes, I have lived here for about five years. Before that, we lived in Texas. 

Do you like your job? 

Yes. Aside from how straining working outside can be all the time, I get paid a lot, I get good hours, and she (Jessica) deals with [me]. 

Why do you wear the mask? 

I only recently got the mask. I had wanted a mask for awhile because, frankly, I don’t like people seeing the lower half of my face anyway. But yeah, all that exhaust all day and the sand blowing from the wind. If you look at the outside of the door out there, it’s coated in this black stuff, and I was breathing that in for months. 

What would you like people to know about you? 

For about a two- or three-month period, there were people that were giving me stuff constantly, like $20 bills. Personally, I want to thank all the people that gave me stuff, but second of all, if any of them thought I was homeless, I’m not and I’m sorry if you thought that. 

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Catching up with Milton's sign walker