I Have a Story to Tell
Once a long time ago I was changed. Now I can tell you, these many years later, that I was unaware that the winds of change were swirling around me. Nonetheless change was well underway, charting an astounding course that would in time, lead me to this very moment.
August… 6th grade. 103 degrees. I sat on the floor of my room in our very old, roach infested mobile home. It was a very old mobile home. I remember my back being wet with perspiration. Our electricity had been turned off. Non payment. Our commodes no longer flushed because we had a well with an electric pump. The smell of a foul I flushed toilet is forever seared into my memory. I sat in the corner at the foot of my bed in this squalor and with all of my 5th grade intellectual powers tried to think of solutions to the following problems:
1. Roaches
2.No water
3.No air conditioning
4.Hunger
I was most certainly at the bottom rung of Maslow’s poverty pyramid.
The sum total of all of my clothing was two pair of tough skin jeans. (Those f***ers could withstand a nuclear attack) 3 shirts, 3 socks. Yes. 3. Not 3 pair.
I decided that I needed to understand finances. My parents were gone so I went into their room and looked for the electric bill. I found it. They are red or pink when you are about to be disconnected. The total amount due was 42.00 plus 25.00 re-connection fee. For a kid that seldom had 50 cents for school lunches. That equated to a whole lot of cash.
I took out a notebook and started making a list of the things I could do to earn 67.00. I remembered that our neighbor was clearing a lot to build a garden. I walked down the dirt road to their old farmhouse and told him I would like to negotiate a business deal with him.
I will clear the lot for you. I will only charge you 100.00. But for you to get such a good price, you will have to pay me in advance 90.00 in cash and give me a ride to the electricity store. I recall he laughed. He countered with 80.00 advance. We settled at 85.00.
We shook hands and and he drove me into town and went into the bank to get my money. He then drove me to the electric coop and I walked in. I said I wanted to buy electricity. I remember this older employee looked at me with great compassion. I recall that she was wiping away tears. At the time I failed to comprehend that she was heartbroken at a little boy telling her that he was going to clear almost an acre of land to pay the electric bill so my sister and I would have a cool place to sleep,a toilet that didn't make you gag, and fresh water to drink. I paid the bill and I didn't understand such things then, but she immediately dispatched a worker to turn our power back on.
I then asked Mr.Lambrecht to let me go to the store. I bought cans of ravioli and a six pack of Milky Way candy bars. Lol. I spent the next six weeks using a brush hook, ax, and sledgehammer clearing the land for my neighbor. When I was done well after the school year had started, he gave me a 50.00 bonus. I bought a new shirt and spent the rest at Sears buying my sister school clothes.
That experience was invaluable. I was changed the in the very moment I rose to my feet at 11 years old, and realized that I alone am responsible for myself. That great joy can be had from very simple things. Like a toilet that flushes or a Milky Way that tastes that much sweeter when you worked for it.
Today, in my late 40’s I still don't care much for labels,or acquiring material things. I instead place great value on quiet streams at sunrise, laughter and mostly the things that can never be acquired with money. This great journey that you and I are on… is only a fleeting mist in time. I choose to spend that time… However much I have left, singing songs badly, laughing, taking time to appreciate beautiful moments that come my way each and every day.
August… 6th grade. 103 degrees. I sat on the floor of my room in our very old, roach infested mobile home. It was a very old mobile home. I remember my back being wet with perspiration. Our electricity had been turned off. Non payment. Our commodes no longer flushed because we had a well with an electric pump. The smell of a foul I flushed toilet is forever seared into my memory. I sat in the corner at the foot of my bed in this squalor and with all of my 5th grade intellectual powers tried to think of solutions to the following problems:
1. Roaches
2.No water
3.No air conditioning
4.Hunger
I was most certainly at the bottom rung of Maslow’s poverty pyramid.
The sum total of all of my clothing was two pair of tough skin jeans. (Those f***ers could withstand a nuclear attack) 3 shirts, 3 socks. Yes. 3. Not 3 pair.
I decided that I needed to understand finances. My parents were gone so I went into their room and looked for the electric bill. I found it. They are red or pink when you are about to be disconnected. The total amount due was 42.00 plus 25.00 re-connection fee. For a kid that seldom had 50 cents for school lunches. That equated to a whole lot of cash.
I took out a notebook and started making a list of the things I could do to earn 67.00. I remembered that our neighbor was clearing a lot to build a garden. I walked down the dirt road to their old farmhouse and told him I would like to negotiate a business deal with him.
I will clear the lot for you. I will only charge you 100.00. But for you to get such a good price, you will have to pay me in advance 90.00 in cash and give me a ride to the electricity store. I recall he laughed. He countered with 80.00 advance. We settled at 85.00.
We shook hands and and he drove me into town and went into the bank to get my money. He then drove me to the electric coop and I walked in. I said I wanted to buy electricity. I remember this older employee looked at me with great compassion. I recall that she was wiping away tears. At the time I failed to comprehend that she was heartbroken at a little boy telling her that he was going to clear almost an acre of land to pay the electric bill so my sister and I would have a cool place to sleep,a toilet that didn't make you gag, and fresh water to drink. I paid the bill and I didn't understand such things then, but she immediately dispatched a worker to turn our power back on.
I then asked Mr.Lambrecht to let me go to the store. I bought cans of ravioli and a six pack of Milky Way candy bars. Lol. I spent the next six weeks using a brush hook, ax, and sledgehammer clearing the land for my neighbor. When I was done well after the school year had started, he gave me a 50.00 bonus. I bought a new shirt and spent the rest at Sears buying my sister school clothes.
That experience was invaluable. I was changed the in the very moment I rose to my feet at 11 years old, and realized that I alone am responsible for myself. That great joy can be had from very simple things. Like a toilet that flushes or a Milky Way that tastes that much sweeter when you worked for it.
Today, in my late 40’s I still don't care much for labels,or acquiring material things. I instead place great value on quiet streams at sunrise, laughter and mostly the things that can never be acquired with money. This great journey that you and I are on… is only a fleeting mist in time. I choose to spend that time… However much I have left, singing songs badly, laughing, taking time to appreciate beautiful moments that come my way each and every day.
51-55, M
