Sarah Quigley's Prologue

Sarah Quigley is a fellow Dutton author whose debut novel, TMI, came out in April. Considering that her book is about a girl with a tendency to overshare, I though it'd be great to ask Sarah herself to overshare about her own personal work history. She did not disappoint.

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What was your favorite job ever?

I am currently employed at my favorite job ever: stay-at-home mom. My daughter is sixteen months old, and I love being with her every day. We spend a lot of time outside at playgrounds and going for walks. She’s also become a big fan of the library although when we’re there, she’s more interested in pulling books off the shelves than actually reading them. She’ll sit through a huge stack of stories at home, though.

My daughter has so much enthusiasm and is so hungry to learn about her world that she turns even the most mundane activities into adventures. For example, she loves helping me unload the dishwasher. The look of pride and excitement on her face as she hands me a fork is priceless.

Your least favorite job?

I worked at a woolen mill the summer after my freshman year of college. The mill made blankets for a cruise line and several federal prisons. I think it would have been excellent punishment if the prisoners had made their own flippin’ blankets.

My shift was 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM with thirty minutes for lunch. It was absolute drudgery. I assisted a woman who made warps (the vertical strings on a loom), and my main responsibility was to restock the warping machine with rolls of yarn. The yarn broke easily, so I had to retie it. I tied about a thousand knots a day.

To make matters even more Dickensian, it was a scorcher of a summer, and I was in the older part of the factory that wasn’t air-conditioned. I was also right next to the electric looms, which were so loud that I had to wear earplugs.

By far the most depressing thing about this job was the woman I worked with. She’d started her career at the woolen mill the year I was born. I often reflected on the fact that for my whole life, she’d been in that noisy room doing the same thing every day. And she was only earning fifty cents more an hour than I was.

That’s just not right.

Your hardest job?

Hmm, I think it’s actually a tie between stay-at-home mom and woolen mill employee. But not for the same reasons, of course. Being a mom is incredibly intense, but it’s so rewarding. Tying knots all day is soul sucking.

What is the biggest job perk you've had?

Between working at the woolen mill and becoming a mom, I taught English as a second language for eight years. My first teaching job after graduate school was at a private language institute in San Francisco. The institute offered a multitude of social activities, and teachers volunteered to lead the activities.

I was new in town and didn’t know many people yet, so I was happy to spend a few hours after work hanging out with students. I got paid to take them bowling, shopping, and sightseeing, and the school reimbursed me for my expenses. We frequently went to bars and played pool and darts. I asked the bartenders for receipts after they mixed my drinks.

Yep, being paid to play pretty much ruled.

What did you like least about working in an office job?

I know I’m not alone in my hatred of ass time. You know, the obligation to sit at a desk for a certain number of hours each day whether I was doing something productive or not. This was one of the main reasons I decided to go into teaching. Sure, I sat at a desk while lesson planning and grading, but I could leave when I was done. Or I could go do something else for a while and finish things at home. Or at a coffee shop. I need that freedom.

I’ve my share of temping and admin work, where ass time is de rigueur. It was really bad when I was a secretary for a year after college. I didn’t have enough work to do, and I was a prisoner to my cubicle. I don’t even remember how I passed the time, but I should have been working on a novel.

What did you like most about working in an office job?

I’m a fan of paychecks, and I miss those. I also enjoyed my students and still keep in touch with many of them. I traveled to Japan a few years ago, and about a dozen of my former students got together for a party in Tokyo. We stayed out until the wee hours singing karaoke and then went to a Japanese version of Denny’s. That was a great night.

What you would do if you weren't a writer?

Keep mothering my girl, eventually go back to teaching. Or maybe pursue my lifelong dream of being a singer/model/actress. I think I have what it takes to be a triple threat.

What you would do if you were independently wealthy and didn't actually HAVE to work?

I’d hire a cook and a housekeeper so that my husband and I could spend more time enjoying our daughter and each other. This would also give me more time to write. I try to write during naptime, but there are always other things that need doing, and if I’m not doing them, then I’m stressing about not doing them. Today I made 75 Swedish meatballs while my daughter slept. Which was great; now I have a few extra dinners in the freezer. But I didn’t get a chance to write.

I need some servants.

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What fun! (Well, except for that bit about the woman in the woolen mill.) And, yeah, paychecks. Sigh.

Hugs,
TLC