story time:
I grew up in a poor poor poor, lower middle class family. There was very little luxury to our lives. There was a lot of sharing, and hand me downs and such. Christmas’s and birthdays were never extravagant. Summers breaks were spent playing in the neighborhood and we never went on vacation anywhere because my parents simply could not afford it. Our summers were spent saving pennies and rolling them at the end of summer so that we could cash them in at the bank and go to McDonalds and play in the playground and split a happy meal and milk shake between my two brothers and I. This was vacation to us.
When I was in fourth grade my mom came to school and checked me out at lunch time for our birthday (something that NEVER happened). Mom and I share the same bday. She took me to McDonalds and bought me my very own happy meal and I got to play in the playground by myself, but she told me to keep it a secret….probably because it was an extravagance that we couldn’t afford and probably because she didn’t want my brothers getting jealous. I will never forget that birthday for the rest of my life.
Needless to say; I am very happy the way I was raised. Im glad we were poor. Im glad for the portion of my life when we lived in a trailer. When I was a teenager I hated how bad we had it compared to most. I never understood why there were so many people out there that had it so much better/easier than us…but now I get it. Most kids probably have had a million happy meals in their life and just want more more more. Instant gratification. My life has been about patients and working long and hard for the outcome and earning it. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I used to want money money money because I thought that is what brought happiness—well, for me, it’s the opposite. My life will more than likely always be a struggle from beginning to end, and you know what? When it sucks, it sucks. But then there are those moments where I get that one happy meal and those moments are totally worth the struggle.
Just wanted to share that.
This broke my heart but made me smile and gave me hope that more people like you exist. I watched Slumdog Millionaire last night for the first time and had a really hard time getting through the entirity of the film. Greed is an awful, awful thing and I hope that you find all the success you seek whether it involves money or not. You are one in a million.
