My grandparents work on American carnivals when a train moved them from spot to spot. Of course I was not born then. Decades later I walked onto a lot the first Spring of traveling. Nineteen years old, I knew nothing. Upon opening a jar of peanut butter and tube of crackers the carnies cleaned me out. I went hungry that night. Lesson learned my ancestors forgot to mention.

My first job was watching over the retired owner. He drank a bit. I slept in his camper fully dressed. Never knew when the old man would leave. It was an easy gig. The man was fully of stories and shared his whisky.

After a week a job in a joint tossing basketballs was given me.