In 1970, way back in the 20th-century, I applied for a part-time position at the White Oak Sears. I filled out a form and was asked to come back the following Saturday morning. So I did. Might have even put on a tie.
Young Brian was directed to a room with about 80 other eager applicants and asked to take a test – the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. I didn’t make that up. There really is such a thing and the name was engraved into my mind that morning as though with a jackhammer.
I plowed into the test. Back then we used #2 pencils and filled in circles. Question after question. It went on and on. It was annoying and intrusive. North Korea could use it to weed out dissidents.
Eventually tiring of it, and seeing little prospect of beating out the other 80 people there, I decided to have some fun. When I reached the question “Are you decisive?” I pencilled in “yes”, then crossed it out and pencilled in “no”. Still enjoying the fun, I crossed that out and wrote, “Well, sometimes”.
I didn’t get the job.
Copyright 2019 Brian M Downing