Lists

My "Pushing 60" project has sent me back to a Book of Lists I started on November 2, 1989 in West Caldwell, New Jersey.  How can I recall the date and place?  I very anally recorded that on the first page of the book.  There, now you know something that I have heretofore kept as secret--I have analities.  This book starts out with "Places I've Lived" (9 states, 21 cities) which really will most likely go on and on because the gypsy gene runs STRONG in me.  A few pages later comes "Best Friends I've Had", "Pets I Have Had", "Places I Have Visited", "Things That Say 'Yes!' To Me", and then romps right into all of my lists of 60 things to go, do, be, read, think etc. in the year between 59 and 60--which the astute reader will notice I have been alluding to but never really addressing directly on this blog.  Nestled right in between "Places I Have Lived" and "Best Friends I Have Had" is "Jobs I Have Been Paid To Do".  Because I have had to scrap my way through a good part of the last 60 years, that list takes up one and a half pages.  I thought I might share a few of those for the next couple of posts.  (Back to that astute reader--Have you noticed that once the resuscitation blocks were put to my chest, I have been a flurry of writing activity???)
Here's my list (in no particular order, but I suspect sort of chronologically):

1. babysit
2. pick raspberries
3. movie theatre concessions/tickets
4. busgirl
5. waitress
6. registration aid (B.Y.U.--think Fieldhouse)
7. housecleaning
8. catering
9. filing
10. seminary teacher
11. bread slicer in a baker
12. reader to the blind
13. housekeeping for elderly (social services)
14. sewing
15. public school teaching
16. tutor
17. sales (Fuller Brush, Tupperware, Discovery Toys, JuicePlus, Sunrider, Pampered Chef)
18. university library cataloger
19. clown (twice--Shakey's Pizza, grand opening of Chad's Rainbow)
20. secretary
21. mentor
22. advisor for Rent-a-Teen
23. ski shop clerk
24. attend classes
25. inventory (Radio Shack) 
26. housesit
27. cut out shirt samples for trade show in NYC sweat shop
28. edit
29. sell  random things I've made, baked, or bartered
30. Life skills teacher to at-risk kids
31. MADD advisor, Natural Helpers advisor
32. crash helmet assembly worker
33. Good Humor temp

I concede that each and every one of these might be a lengthy post--perhaps even a chapter in a book!  My friend Lana says I was more interesting pre-Paco when I was constantly scratching and plotting how to get money.  That's probably true.  Nothing like security to bring on the yawns.  I should put all of these into a hat and draw one out a day.  I KNOW you want to hear about my 3 weeks in an NYC sweatshop, and I'd be unforgivably amiss if I omitted my clown gigs.  Furthermore, my waitress jobs were smashing as well as my "careers" in New Jersey when I was literally keeping the thin thread between life and extinction viable by baking and selling bread DAILY.  I think I'll start tomorrow with the sweatshop.  Come on back!