Me at 30's Arc

Chapter 5 of 7

The stories came back faster than I sent them. Three rejections in the first week. The newspaper wanted more Racum Raccoon adventures, but the bigger magazines sent form letters. Not what we're looking for. Doesn't fit our current needs. Thank you for your interest. I kept my lunch break job at the mill, but I started watching the bulletin board near the break room. They posted openings every week. Most required experience I didn't have. Then I saw one for an administrative assistant in the front office. Answer phones. File paperwork. Type correspondence. I could type now. I filled out the application during my break and turned it in before I could second-guess it. The interview happened three days later in a small room with fluorescent lights and a table between us. The manager asked about my current position. I told him I worked the floor but wanted something different. He asked why. I said I needed more money and I was willing to learn whatever the job required. He looked at my application. He asked if I could start Monday. I said yes. The offer letter arrived in my mailbox on Friday. Forty percent more than I made now. Enough to cover the credit card payment and still have money left over. I read it twice standing by the curb. The kids were at daycare. The trailer was empty. I folded the letter and put it in my pocket. Monday I'd be somewhere different. Not on the floor. Not where I'd been stuck. I walked inside and started packing lunches for the week.