When I was 15

[Lurker66]

And school was out, I hunted, fished, learned how to weld and do some machine work.

I worked almost everyday, made $5.00 an hour. Caught a bass that was about 7lbs. Killed squirrels galore. Drove a green baja bug if it would start.

Hung out with a little redhead next section over, learned how to kiss.

What did you do?

 

[TwoForFlinching]

From 12-22, summers were spent stretching fence and running tractors and combines. For the grandparents when I was younger, later for a Stillwater farmer throughout college. Making $5 an hour was good when days ran on for 16 hours

 

[tRidiot]

$5/hr!!!! Holy cow!!!

I mowed lawns. All day most days. I remember one my mom would drop me in the morning or on her lunch hour, and I would mow this guys lawn - like a 1 - 1.5 acre lot, the guy had a several hundred-thousand dollar home (in Tulsa or OKC woulda easily been a million-dollar place) - and made $15 for it each time.

I gave up the lawn-mowing for a job in a dog-grooming business making $2/hr.

Dang... I'm old.

 

[aviator41]

I was mowing lawns for $20 a whack and chasing one particular girl all summer. Helps to have a pool in the back yard. She enjoyed swimming and I enjoyed watching her swim.

 

[BMPregler]

Working for my Dad 10 hour days M-F and 6 hrs on Saturday at the family business, Pregler Lawn and Garden. After work I fish until dark at our pond. I made what ever minimum wage was back in the mid eighties.

 

[Blinocac200sx]

Mourned the loss of loved ones and innocence of my home town as the worst terrorist attack on US soil at the time had just happened.

Looked for jobs till I was blue in the face, finally had a place tell me they couldn't hire me till I was 16.

Played Techmo Superbowl on the NES till my brains fell out.

Listened to Rush Limbaugh and read his books many times over.

Worked on a novel that I still haven't finished.

 

[EhlerDave]

I hauled hay. I started when I was 12, at a whopping .05 per bail, but honestly due to skill and stamina, I was making .11 when I was 14, that added up to some nice cash. Now that does not sound like a lot, but you fellas know how the pay was, I graduated in 84 (17yo). Had a car I bought with cash and still had more than a bit left over.

 

[Wheel Gun]

I worked for a local rental property company for cash under the table. Cleaned up other people's trash and damage for sweet cash (what I thought at the time was a small fortune) and bought a 20 year old car.

 

[undeg01]

During the school year, I would ride the bus home, doing my homework on those bumpy, dusty roads so that as soon as I got home, I could grab my grandpa's single shot 22 and head to the woods. I would hunt squirrels to the point that I would have a crick in my neck from looking up into the trees so much. One of my best friends and I would go camping on the weekends with nothing more than our sleeping bags, 22 rifles and a couple cans of beef stew that we would add squirrell, rabbit, crawdads and wild onions to so that we had plenty to eat. We would drink water from the creeks and springs along the way. We never heard of ecoli and never were poisoned by the water. We never burned down the forest or considered a threat to anyone because we carried our guns everywhere.

In the summers, I would roof houses from daylight until noon or 1:00pm, then buck square bales from 3:00pm until 10:00 or 11:00pm. I still have the occasional dream of picking up a square bale, only to see a live snake squirming under the balling wire.

 

[Hobbes]

I was bent over under the hot sun all day hoeing weeds out of cotton field on my grandparents farm one year.
You can be sure I made other plans for the Summers after that.

Mostly worked with my dad building and remodeling houses.