Many people from my age group had off-the-books jobs before they turned 16. When I was thirteen, I worked at a rental store cleaning equipment as it was returned. My father worked there as a mechanic, and the owners were good family friends.…

In the 1970s, Target Stores had automotive service departments. I was a young college student looking for summer work. I must have looked like a mechanic because they placed me in the service department. I learned to put on new tires, balance them, and occasionally do alignments.…