OP
tallyho8
Elite Member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2004
- Messages
- 4,532
- Tractor
- Kubota L4400, Kubota ZD326
My father was born in 1893. He was 51 when my sister was born and 53 when I was born. He was a disabled WWI vet who lived on a disability pension of $200 a month. He was highly intelligent and could squeeze a penny until it cried Dixie. He never ate out a day in his life. My sister and I had 3 good, healthy meals a day and clean clothes to wear to school every day. we each got one toy a year on our birthday and one at Christmas. At about 8 years old I started collecting newspapers, copper wiring and soft drink bottles for recycling and refunds in my spare time. My first real job was a paper route at age 12 until 16 when I worked part time at a gas station for 75 cents an hour under the table.
During the depression when jobs and money were tight, my father was given an old house that had to be moved. Despite his disabilities he and my mother were able to tear it down and move it to a lot he bought for $200 and plan what they could build with that much lumber and design and build an incredible house that stands today as the best home in the neighborhood. He did this with no power tools except a sears table saw and straightening and reusing the old nails. He taught me early on the value of money and the fact that it isn't how much you earn that makes you wealthy but how much you spend.
I never forgot his teachings and principals and with this and hard work over the years I am now financially independent and able to do just about anything that I wish to do. (that my old body will still allow me to do) I got married at 19 with $20 in my pocket and a $100 car, had my only son at 20, started my own business at 24, bought my first home at 28 and retired (sort of) in 2005 when Katrina shut me down.
My only regrets were that I had to work when I was young and never got to go to pep rallies and ball games and other after school activities like all my friends got to do. We didn't have money for a fancy wedding but we are still married after 52 years. I spent many nights repairing our old junky car so I could get to work in the mornings and regret having to work so much overtime that I did not spend enough time with my son but I taught him my values and philosophies that my father taught me and he became very successful in electronics and computer engineering before Multiple Sclerosis struck him down at age 40.
I have tried to teach my grandson who is now 14, and doing decent in school, some of my values but he lives some distance away with his mother and has never learned the value of money. He will buy a coke in a store for $1.25 and walk off and leave the change from his $2.00 because he doesn't want to carry around change. He already knows more about using a cellphone than I will learn in the rest of my life and is quite adept at video games. He isn't interested in my horses or driving my tractor and would prefer to stay inside and text his friends.
From what I have learned over the years, every generation thinks the younger generation has it easy and will never amount to anything but usually they turn out better than we expect. I just hope that this phenomenon will continue for several more generations.
During the depression when jobs and money were tight, my father was given an old house that had to be moved. Despite his disabilities he and my mother were able to tear it down and move it to a lot he bought for $200 and plan what they could build with that much lumber and design and build an incredible house that stands today as the best home in the neighborhood. He did this with no power tools except a sears table saw and straightening and reusing the old nails. He taught me early on the value of money and the fact that it isn't how much you earn that makes you wealthy but how much you spend.
I never forgot his teachings and principals and with this and hard work over the years I am now financially independent and able to do just about anything that I wish to do. (that my old body will still allow me to do) I got married at 19 with $20 in my pocket and a $100 car, had my only son at 20, started my own business at 24, bought my first home at 28 and retired (sort of) in 2005 when Katrina shut me down.
My only regrets were that I had to work when I was young and never got to go to pep rallies and ball games and other after school activities like all my friends got to do. We didn't have money for a fancy wedding but we are still married after 52 years. I spent many nights repairing our old junky car so I could get to work in the mornings and regret having to work so much overtime that I did not spend enough time with my son but I taught him my values and philosophies that my father taught me and he became very successful in electronics and computer engineering before Multiple Sclerosis struck him down at age 40.
I have tried to teach my grandson who is now 14, and doing decent in school, some of my values but he lives some distance away with his mother and has never learned the value of money. He will buy a coke in a store for $1.25 and walk off and leave the change from his $2.00 because he doesn't want to carry around change. He already knows more about using a cellphone than I will learn in the rest of my life and is quite adept at video games. He isn't interested in my horses or driving my tractor and would prefer to stay inside and text his friends.
From what I have learned over the years, every generation thinks the younger generation has it easy and will never amount to anything but usually they turn out better than we expect. I just hope that this phenomenon will continue for several more generations.
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