#firstsevenjobs

#firstsevenjobs

Also, #privilege  

1. Summer Something at the Oklahoma State Department of Health, doing occupational licensing one summer, moving furniture another, and writing my first database a third. These summer positions were intended to go to underprivileged youth, and all went to the children of Health Department employees.

2. Tutor for the University of Oklahoma, until they restructured my job out of existence. That is, I was politely fired.

3. Private tutor, for rich kids flunking calculus. Until one of them failed and started finding and removing my flyers.

4. Jimmy John's for about a week. They asked me not to come back. That is, I was politely fired.

5. Substitute teaching, until they asked me not to come back. That is, I was politely fired.

6. Incoming credit card customer support on the phone for six weeks. This was completely intentional -- the paid training lasted for six weeks -- three of which was on phones -- and I could live for the few weeks until I left town on that cash.

7. Ran a peace camp for the local UCC church. I would have done this for free, but they insisted on paying.

Living under the poverty line at 24 was pretty great -- I fondly remember sharing a crappy 2-bedroom apartment with two friends. Plus, too poor to pay taxes. Somehow, I got the EITC that year. Makes no sense.