I am Kyle's self-indulgence

When I was young I subscribed to Boys’ Life magazine. Even though my membership in the Boy Scouts was very brief I continued reading the club’s official magazine for several years because it contained lots of stories, articles, comics, etc. that appealed to me as a 10-12-year-old boy.

In addition to their more professional content, the magazine also featured a joke section in the back. Readers would send in original jokes, and those who were fortunate to have their jokes selected would be compensated to the tune of two dollars. Most of the jokes were terrible--so terrible, in fact, that I figured I could come up with better. So I did.

At the time I was particularly fond of the particular sub-genre of joke that involves an invented book title with a punning author name--stuff like “Under the Bleachers by Seymour Butts.” I think I came up with two or three clean, original ideas and sent them in. The only one I distinctly remember went something like, “Babysitting Made Easy by Justin Casey Wales,” which I thought was extremely clever.

I waited with great anticipation to hear that all of my original jokes had been accepted, but after several months went by with no response I eventually gave up hope. But one day, unexpectedly, I received an envelope from Boys’ Life with two dollars enclosed. There was probably some kind of letter enclosed, but I don’t remember. All I remember are those two dollar bills, creased and worn. Although not as glamorous or professional as I had imagined, that cash in an envelope was exciting for what it represented: I was getting my name in a magazine, and I was getting paid for it.

I’ve been teaching my students about resumes and applying for jobs, and I stressed to them that they need to be careful of how they use their names online. I said that on the Internet nothing is lost and nothing is forgotten. I mentioned that I try to avoid using my last name on my own blog so that potential employers don’t find it when they do a Google search. It’s been a while since I actually Googled myself and I thought I’d see if the results have changed at all.

In addition to the pages of swimming results and random things I’ve carelessly attached my last name to, I was surprised to find a link to Google Books’ display of the January 1992 issue of Boys’ Life magazine. So go take a look at which joke of mine was chosen (which I had completely forgotten over the years) and marvel at the first, and as yet only, time I got paid for my writing.