Now and then I feel the need to publish an "I, Me, My" post.
Our environment motivates me to do that today-
I'm not sure how I met "Dennis". He lived in the addition across the fence behind us, so maybe that was a factor. Whatever...
Dennis delivered "The Indianapolis News" evening newspaper. Dennis and his family were moving, so he had to find a replacement.
About halfway along his route there was an old community grocery store. We delivered a newspaper there and Dennis asked, "Want a candy bar and a soda?"
I heard the change jingle in his pocket. The fact he was able to reach into his pocket and pay for both of us impressed me and planted a seed-
"Why couldn't I do this?"
I was 10.
A manager for the newspaper showed up at our home. He wanted to make sure I could correctly make change for our customers when I did my weekly collections.
Mom, Dad, and I had practiced.
I passed the test.
My first "job", I delivered those papers for four years. That job taught me A LOT-
How to budget. How to save. How to take care of customers.
And how to deal with customers in an older community that sometimes would not be there when collection time came, having passed on.
Tough, because you learned to care for them.
With money earned on that route I saved enough to buy my first motor scooter at 12. (In our community, our Law Enforcement Officers looked "the other way" when they saw 12 yr-old kids illegally riding motor vehicles on our roads.)
With funds saved from that route I talked my folks into allowing me to buy my first car from my Dad's brother when I was 14.
(This they WOULD NOT allow me to drive until I was legal!)
Today? It's hard not to compare my generation with kids who have their noses stuck into IPhones and IPads that have been given to them by their parents.
(I'm also guilty of wanting our son to "have it better than I did", so I don't throw my stones with too much force.)
But I do wonder-
Are we doing these kids any favors over the long term?
29 July 2024
Newspaperboy
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5 comments:
The answer is no.
But I did my job.
Not in my opinion. I did what I could with mine 20 years ago. Now working on the grandkids.
Mixed thoughts. My sons have a solid work ethic and my grandchildren are solid workers. Having chores to do daily and having a parent who sets and example is the greatest influence.
My neighbor's kid up the street asked if I had any work for him over the summer.
I talked to his mom and she was fine with it and told me to use the younger boy as well.
They are 11 & 9 years old.
The have limited attention spans so we only work 2 hours at a time. They do work for their money.
I taught them both how to drive a farm tractor with a manure spreader on the back. They did fine.
Good kids from a good family.
I've been blessed that all four of my children have matured into adults with good ethics and morals. I think at times that they just don't do what I do, and it makes them better. And the paper route thing... sounds like my younger days as well, including the Indpls Star morning paper. I did a bike route in Frankfort that was about 3 miles long, for about 4 years.
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