census ii

How did I come to apply to be a census worker? Well, I follow the call. That means when I'm called to do something, and that something seems to be appropriately in-line with what i feel like doing, or sometimes not at all, I do it. In the case of applying to be a census worker, the call arrived in the form of a man i have come to recognize as a regular customer at my regular coffee shop. He happened to be leaving when I was arriving. He waved me over while packing up his satchel.
"You need a part time job?" he asked.
Was it my uncombed hair, my sleepy eyes or my dazzling Bob Marley hoodie that gave away my employment status?
"How much does it pay?" I asked.
"Seventeen bucks an hour," he said.
Clearly, this man was Jesus. He handed me a 2010 Census card, told me there was a practice exam online, and that was about when I began experiencing sphincter issues related to past test-taking experiences.