This has been a very interesting thread.
Have not contributed much to the forum for a while, because while I was a 99 (and 95) loony for several decades, eventually almost escaped. My last remnant is a Featherweight .358 made in 1955, inherited from one of my hunting mentors--who grew up in New York City, and in his high school years hitch-hiked to the Catskills to deer hunt with the cased .358 over his shoulder. At the time you could not get a driver's license in NYC until 18.
My resume: paper delivery boy from 12-15, but also worked summers for a live theater run by a relative during the same period, mostly building sets but sometimes standing around mumbling on stage when a "kid" was called for. First jobs after high school were "cowboying" and farmhand., but always wanted to be a writer. Started publishing stuff for money at 21, but kept working part-time at various jobs until 30, including oil-rig worker and seasonal "custom cutter," running a wheat/barley/safflower combine from July to October for seven years. (Eventually worked my way up to foreman.) Also worked a couple years for a historical/archaeological research firm, as the cartographer both in the field and the office--and turning field reports into English.
Meanwhile kept writing in my "spare" time, and since age 30 haven't done anything else. Have written for several dozen magazines, including National Geographic and Sports Illustrated, and traveled a bit around the world on various assignments . But have "started" retiring in the past few years, due to some OK investments--though writers usually never retire. They just write less.
Have seen some 99s that have tempted me a LOT lately!
Nice John, sounds like a rich life!! Thanks for that Paul Harvey summary
