Write a story about a traveling shoe salesman named Ed

Did you know that the name Al sells less shoes than the name Ed? 
 
 It's true. Statistics show it. Our company, the A. Milligan & A. Adamson distribution limited, had done research in every possible way, including asking customers who they prefer buying shoes from. I'd worked for them for about one month, highly skeptical of the idea that door to door salesmen could sell Women's shoes. Apparently I was wrong, because the M & A boys as they liked to be called had built up a mini-empire in said fashion, with an army of salesmen all named Ed pushing the Nurse Martini shoe line. 
 
 We were given THE BOOK. THE BOOK was a 150 page manifesto on selling women's shoes in the M & A style, with no rule for leeway. Hair was short, neat and parted on the left or continental style. Jacket and tie were also required, as were greetings, opening lines and word prompts. To make sure you did not vary from THE BOOK, senior salesmen would tail you on random days and times to confirm your adherence to THE BOOK. They would also question different homes you visited to verify your adherence to the sales principles set forth by THE BOOK. Even your cologne or after shave had to be on a approved list in THE BOOK, and never offensively heavy. If a customer complained that you had overdone it on the scent, you would be reprimanded, fined and possibly fired. Of course, you also had to be clean shaven and well groomed. That was not only a given, but explicitly detailed in The BOOK. 
 
 My name is actually Ed. Edward truthfully, but I'd been Ed for years. Apparently my name tested better than Al because of a unsavory association with a television show. 
 
 I'd about had enough. I'd gone looking for some new territories to spark up my sales, and as I looked at myself in the rear view mirror I did n't know whether to laugh or cry. I looked like the fucking 50's Dad stereotype you'd see in a old Mad magazine.
