This job was not even quarter time. It was the job of many tweens and teens: babysitter. Nothing better than getting paid to watch tv and eat all the ice cream I wanted while I sat on Ben and Ryan.

And it the job was a cultural awakening. The clients were from Wisconsin.

Through learning from my in-laws and Charlie Berens, I have slowly begun to unpack that experience all these years later. The dad would say things like “Oooh, I tell ya. That Don Majkowski isn’t going to cut it.” And Ryan (~4 years old), was already indoctrinated. I know this because one Christmas, he said, “It’s almost time for Baby Cheeses’ birthday!”

The picture is of me celebrating 8^th-grade graduation. I would never have made it to that mountaintop if I hadn’t been able to pay for my own Funyuns and chocolate malteds with the cash from my Midwest clients.