I was young; I needed the money...

When I was young I would do most any job.  Clarification; I would do most any job to avoid doing any job.  I had an odd fear of employment, not of working but of the workplace.  I could not-would not 9 to 5 it.  Though I tried it and maintained in that rat race for a little while, I did not get ahead.  It wasn't for me.  I liked to work, but I wanted to do so as I saw fit.  I didn't want to report to an office at nine in the morning.  I wanted to start at say 6:30 a.m. instead and end my day when I was physically exhausted, not when the paper pile was sifted through.  I wanted to show up in Levi's and a t-shirt, with my hair clipped up on top of my head, not too much make up on my face, just a little lipstick and maybe mascara, because I think it's only polite to wear some, but not necessarily a full face-load
Much to the surprise of the people who knew me best, those who raised me, grew beside me and loved me all my life, I didn't conform, didn't find a real job in the real world.  I skirted the issue and spent my days cleaning house for nearly a decade, just me and the dust mites.
I worked in solitude by choice, looking at peoples lives up close and personal, examining them in obscurity and learning quietly as I moved through their homes, sponge in hand.
Things I did to make my days interesting;
Started my mornings with Howard Stern.
Carried as many things at one time as I could to challenge myself always.
 (Pretty much, I played pack mule.)
Listened to over 1100 books on tape all borrowed from the local library.
Never ate lunch, only breakfast and dinner.
Stacked people's change and never rifled their drawers, no matter how tempting.
Pretended I was hard of hearing so that I could avoid conversation.
Only saw people when I absolutely had to.
Made any bed, no matter how uninteresting it was, into something no one could resist climbing into.
Talked to myself and often laughed at what I said.
Mentally wrote novels, several of them.
Daydreamed that I was an Olympic Skater, while I listened to music.

The most unusual, often hysterical, interesting, extraordinary, unexpected, adorable, memorable events seemed to happen to me as I scoured houses top to bottom.  My tiny days were peppered with remarkable occurrences and I often think back on that time.  I should write a book about it.
"Semi-True Tales of an Unlikely Suburban Housekeeper".

I cleaned houses for a living when I was young and needed the money...