400 Words


Archive for July 2007

Three-Piece Suit Deceit

by Anthony–Age 25—Raleigh, NC
At the end our Sunday School lesson about the perils of masturbation, the teacher offered me my first job. I was 15. He was a contractor. My only other option was Chik-fil-a. I accepted his offer. I started in June and quit when it got cold. My last day was Halloween.
My second […]

Jobs I Have Not Had (In Chronological Order)

by Andrea—Age 27—San Ramon, CA
Babysitter:
I was never a babysitter, although I was a voracious reader of the Babysitter’s Club series during my adolescence.
When I was 15, I worked retail in a music store. The job lasted all summer and was wonderful (boss was never there; back room to kiss the boyfriend; limitless supply of free […]

The Big Bang

by Todd—Age 35—Muncie, IN
My eighth-grade year burst into flames when my best friend Kess, whom I had known since birth, moved from Tulsa to New Orleans. I watched the explosion from the dark of my family’s living room. I couldn’t see his house from there, but I could see the moving truck driving away. I […]

Finding the Way

by Annie—Age 50—Tokyo, Japan
Those who knew me along the way would say that I pretty much ended up where I wanted to go. On the other side of the world. As a kid, I dreamed of other places, other worlds. I mimicked accents and would call my mom from a neighbor’s house pretending to speak […]