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In the world of keeping customers happy, Paul Lemons has succeeded like few other employees.

The 55-year-old Virginia worker estimates he's helped at least 10,000 customers during his working years. The care he takes with each person can be seen in the many commendations and awards he's received in his 35 years in the workforce.

What makes Lemons unique is his 24/7 smile and a 100-percent can-do demeanor. Despite multiple disabilities dating from childhood, he always has time for a friendly word and a moment to help a customer solve a problem. He loves a challenge. He's the epitome of a successful employee and the guy at whom everybody waves in the parking lot.

The youngest of four children, he grew up in Springfield, Miss. In early childhood, he suffered from lazy eye, a condition that was not treated until he became an adult.

A series of physicians failed to diagnose a far more serious problem, hydrocephalus, until his mid-30s. A neurosurgeon inserted a Denver shunt to divert excess fluid from his brain to his stomach, a procedure that kept Lemons flat on his back in the hospital for six weeks.

As a result of this surgery, he must take a robust dose of an anti-seizure medication each day for the rest of his life. Concern about the shunt malfunctioning and the need to eventually replace it cause a slight frown, but only for a few seconds.

"I figure what will happen will just happen," he admits. "We'll just have to deal with it when it does."