My father was in the service for over 30 years. On his early 50's, he retired to Florida. In just a little over a year, he had a heart attack and died. It was a week before my 10th birthday.
My mother had never worked in her life. Women didn't work in the 1920's and 30's. She had let my father handle the finances and did not know that his military pension would stop when he died.
She had to find a job and she went to work at a small ladies dress shop chain, called, "Virginia Dare"
When I was 12, she got me a work permit and I starting working there on weekends, afternoons, holidays and summer vacations.
I was hired to be the "stock girl" but the manager soon learned how good I was with math and I loved to run the register. (You had to know how to count back change back then)
So, she had me doing the books every afternoon at closing. I would take all the sales tickets to the back room and balance the books. The adding machine that I used was NOT electric. It had to be hand cranked! I balanced the books and made up all the deposits.
I got paid a grand sum of $3 per day ( 8am to5:30 pm). I used this money to buy my clothes, school supplies, movies, etc., but I always managed to save a bit. My mother just could not afford to do anything but feed me and give me a home to live it.
I am very glad that I got this experience at a very early age and I never felt sorry for myself that I had to work. I think it took a lot of burden off my mother not having to buy things for me. She taught me one thing. Only buy something IF all your bills are paid first and you really need it. I never saw my mother buy herself anything in all those years!
I found a extra $100 in my car payment envelope, so I am adding that to the challenge.
Prev. total $281.00
today 100.00
new total $381.00
Virginia Dare
January 13th, 2010 at 09:19 pm
January 13th, 2010 at 10:44 pm 1263422667
Did you know Virginia Dare was the first English child born in America, and that she and her whole colony of Roanoke mysteriously disappeared? I used to be so fascinated by that piece of history when I was a kid.
January 13th, 2010 at 11:44 pm 1263426267
January 13th, 2010 at 11:58 pm 1263427122
January 14th, 2010 at 12:06 am 1263427592
January 14th, 2010 at 05:14 am 1263446056
January 14th, 2010 at 05:57 am 1263448652
I am amazed when I encounter cashiers who cannot do something as simple as counting back change. I used to teach it to my 3rd graders, yet now most cashiers use machines that tell them the amount of change to give back. They don't even have to think.
January 14th, 2010 at 03:26 pm 1263482778
January 14th, 2010 at 04:00 pm 1263484841
January 14th, 2010 at 04:47 pm 1263487656
Jerry
January 15th, 2010 at 03:22 pm 1263568945