Day 99 of 100

“You are going to quit, Micah.”

When I was 10 I got a paper route. In the old days, kids rode their bicycles around the neighborhood and delivered newspapers (a collection of stories from yesterday) to houses.

It was a big deal for me. A way to make some money, which seemed to be something my parents never had.

When I was 9, I started my first business, a lawn mowing/landscaping business. The big lesson I learned from that business is that it is always better to get the money than do the work. I convinced all the kids in the neighborhood that were mowing lawns to band together. I ended up getting 80% of the money but did 20% of the work. A Wall Street education at 9.

Back to the paper route.

I had a morning route which meant I had to deliver the newspapers at 5 am. They got delivered to my house around 3 am, I woke up at 4 am, and started preparing all the newspapers. Folding them in thirds; wrapping rubber bands around them; Putting them in my bag.

The first rain drops fell as I filled my bags, and by the time I was done it was lightening and thundering.

“Micah?”

“Yeah mom?”

“You are not going out in this weather.”

Of course I was. I had a job to do. People needed their morning papers. I was The Newspaper Man!

“Not going to happen, Micah.”

I begged and pleaded. I just wanted to do my job and get those papers delivered. What would my customers think?

“Ok, get in the car.”

At 5 am, I put all the newspapers in the back of my mom’s station wagon. Yes, it had wood paneling on the sides. I climbed in the passenger seat with my route map, and we proceeded to deliver all the papers.

I was so excited when we got back. I had finished my first paper route in my first job.

“You are going to quit, Micah.”

Crushed was an understatement. All the toys and movies and comic books and other things that I could buy disappeared from my thoughts. What was I going to do?

The next day I called my boss and told him I had to quit.

“You know, we have afternoon routes.”

I was saved. My mom said yes, and I was back on my bike in days.