Work and Me

I know this seems like a strange thing to say, but I started working because of Star Wars.

The year is 1997. I’m halfway through my freshman year of high school, and it’s a cold, rainy January in Palo Alto. On the 31st, “A New Hope” is re-released into theaters, and I go, with a few friends, to see it for the first time. It was fun, but not wholly overwhelmingly awesome. But it would be. Oh. It would be. By the time “The Empire Strikes Back” showed up, I was ridiculously excited.

The year progressed as such. When, towards the end of the school year, I learned that there was to be a big, sci-fi, but mostly Star Wars related, convention happening in San Francisco in August, I almost plotzed. I needed money. Money to take the train to get there. Money to pay entrance fees. Money to buy a whole bunch of ridiculous stuff.

So I looked at the job board at school and decided that the only thing I was qualified to do was to work as a hasher (food server) in a dorm at Stanford. There would be summer camps and athletes to feed.

I don’t know how, but I somehow convinced three of my friends to get hired with me. Why they would do this, I don’t know. But they did, which was especially good, since one of them was (oddly) old enough to drive, and that way we could get to work.

So working there was one of the most bizarre parts of my life (maybe I’ll blog about it later), but in August, I got that whole weekend off, and dragged a few of my friends on the train with me to the big city.

But once I was up there, looking at all that stuff, I hardly wanted to buy anything. I loved having money. I wanted to keep it, not spend it on action figures and toys that, in the logical part of my brain, would eventually just end up dusty and unused. I still love Star Wars. But I’m pretty happy just watching the DVDs and playing that version of Trivial Pursuit (now there was a good purchase).

So it began, the love affair with the monies. I’ve had a job ever since, and that was twelve years ago. I’ve had thirteen jobs since then. Last month I was laid off for the first time. Now I’m confused. People tell me I deserve this break, but no. Must work. All the time.

Anyway, the whole freelance writing thing is going alright. Not explosively awesome, but not dismal either. For instance, this happened: http://www.cityporters.com/2008/10/sentence-of-the-week/

We’ll see how it all goes. Life in turmoil, for someone so fond of structure and routine, is not good.

Kthxbai.