Sitting in his small room in Nosey Mole’s tunnel system, it is uneventful, quiet. Still, he hears devastating rumblings from the outside world; gets word now and then about atrocious money-fed arguments about government intentions. For years he has spoken out against the collapsing U.S. constitution being replaced with autocracy, autocratic values instead of human well being values. He watches industrial technology/electronics steal human life each day. He sees a planet long stolen of necessary resources for every living creature on the planet. Like most caring citizens, he has campaigned against violence, greed and abuse of the biosphere. But he is old. He wants to keep writing for his own mental facilities. What shall he write about?

Mariner has had about 45 jobs in his life. He gets a different count every time he tries to remember. Perhaps this can be a pastime, remembering his odd career.

His very first job was as a paperboy. He was 14. He delivered daily newspapers over 10 blocks for $4.00/week. Google says classic paperboys today make $1.00 per paper, an average of $41.12 for mariner’s route. If the labor market had stayed with inflation, today’s paperboy would be making $48.46.

The side benefits were that mariner was out on his own and his two favorite female friends from the church youth group lived on his route. His second job, when he was 15, his boss promoted mariner to a job riding in his truck and folding papers and tossing them out to customers. A job with your boss sitting next to didn’t have the atmosphere of the walking job so mariner resigned a year later.

But know, readers, that you have lived and had jobs and experienced daily life. So he will help you remember. How old were you when you took your first Job? Can you remember what your US President and his wife looked like? What were their names? If you’re as old as mariner, what was your favorite radio show when you took your first job – otherwise, what was your favorite TV show? Your favorite movie or song?

Ancient Mariner