During the big days of Disco Bars, I fell madly in love with my college girlfriend Janice. My mission was to marry her, even though she had other plans. As you know, she thought of me as her "spring fling" in college. But I believed she was my future wife, and I meant it.
I needed a plan of action. My parents expected me to "get a real job." But the best strategy I could come up with was working on a small farm three hours north of Philadelphia. Janice was living with her college roommates in a condo they rented.
I was just out of college, without a clue, in debt, and my student loan payments were more than I could afford. The farm job paid $3.50 an hour, which was brutal in the humid summer heat of Pennsylvania. At the time, the minimum wage was $3.35.
It was 1983. One of the most popular movies was American Gigolo, starring Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton. While rampant inflation had swept through America in the late 70s, everything was cheaper compared to today. I was working for money, but not as much as I hoped to realize my dream of marrying Janice Miller. Most days, work started at 6 a.m. The farm owner had a room in his house for us because a mutual friend introduced us. If that wasn't enough, I would have to ...