My first temping job back in the early 1990s

So, now it's time when I tell you all where I started my temping career. I'll do a little background first though.

I went to College at University of Lowell, College of Music. Yes, music. I have been playing music, but after college, I realized quickly that music is a great way to relieve stress, but it's not great for making money, unless you become famous or have a few music albums out. I had worked previously before, but nothing like a real day job, mostly retail.

I went to Adecco http://www.adecco.com/Channels/adeccoNewVI/home/home1.asp and they told me that since I didn't have much experience, that they just had one thing.

To help sell papers on the streets of Boston. Massachusetts. Not just a normal paper, no. The New York Times.

If you happen to live in Massachusetts, a lot of Bostonians don't really like New Yorkers too much, in fact, they love to hate the New York Yankees, but they are intelligent enough to know the difference of a good paper.

Back in the 1990s, the media was a little different, and people actually liked reading the newspaper. We didn't have the internet as we know it today, so I guess I was lucky in all of my timing.

My job was to hand out free papers on the streets of Boston (yes, outside), and I had this whole "shtick" where I would yell at the top of my lungs "Free paper here, get your free paper, I'm talking free people, F R E E , that's right, where else can you get a free newspaper, and get yourself a copy right here, best crossword in the world, right here FREE!" Yes, I'm yelling all the words free as loud as I can.

The Boston Globe guy across the street was mad that I was yelling so loud, that he was losing business, and actually came over to me to ask me if I would shut up or move. So, I moved. After all, this was my job, and I was being paid to do this.

Of course, there was a catch to the "free" paper. As soon as someone was interested in taking a free paper, I would grab the paper, and then proceed to ask them if they would also like to get a subscription to the New York Times.

My "manager" was this older Jewish guy named Irving who was so proud of me, I sold 15 subscriptions in one day, but then it started to get crappy outside. I had to tell poor Irving that I had to leave the job.

Irving was so upset, he almost cried and begged me to not leave the job.

But in the end, I did leave that job. I did learn how to be loud and obnoxious and be funny.