The Typo That Changed My Life By Arlene Mandell
I NEEDED A JOB — REAL BAD, REAL FAST!
I was living in a tiny room in a boarding house in New Jersey during the divorce process from my off-the-wall, self-destructive husband of 22 years. In Florida, my father had just passed away; my mother was depressed, in dire financial straits, and overwhelmed. I had no sisters, brothers, or family; there was no one to turn to but myself to survive these colliding situations. First step: find a job.
“Proofreader Wanted” appeared in my small town community newspaper. Bingo! I went for an interview the next day. The manager was adamant, he wanted someone with experience. I had none as a proofreader but justified my other qualifications: college-educated, excellent speller, had taught several years in the New York City public school system (not revealing it was kindergarten).
He then held up the previous week’s newspaper in front of my face. An ad for a sale on men’s clothing read: “TWO SHIRTS, TEN DOLLARS,” only the “r” was missing from “shirts.” I stifled a laugh. He said he was losing thousands of dollars in advertising revenue because of typos like that and MUST have someone with skill in the field. He walked me to the door, thanked me and said goodbye.
However, I didn’t leave but instead wandered through the honeycombed building, peeking into printing rooms, 24
