»
Main Forums
»
Passions in Prose
»
Assignments From My Daughter #4
| Passions in Prose |
|
Assignments From My Daughter #4 |
|
Larry C
since 2001-09-10
Posts 10286United States 
|
Assignments From My Daughter #4 By Larry Chadwick L.L. Bean wasn’t really her style. But then again that hat. She had to have that hat. It would work so perfect with her classroom. So she sat down at her computer and proceeded to write a whole sequence of topic titles. Relying on her kindergarten experience she got her scissors out and separated each title into a single paper strip. When they were folded in half they went into her hat. And the hat went to her high school English classroom. It would do her juniors and seniors good to write impromptu papers on random topics. Assignment #4 “Where My Money Goes”: Well let me see. I remember being six years old and walking both shoulders of the road as far away from home as I could get away with. Empty pop bottles were two cents a piece. And candy was a penny a piece and candy bars were a nickel. I found a pop bottle so old and filthy that it took me thirty minutes and a thousand gallons of water to clean it. The best part was Brown’s Country Store was right next door. When I was old enough to go to summer camp money was pretty scarce. So I pulled weeds for a penny a piece. Let me see…twenty dollars divided by one penny equals two thousand weeds. And spending money for camp was a penny for two weeds. It seemed it took forever to pull that many weeds in the Arizona summer sun. But that was the best summer of my childhood. In high school I worked twenty hours a week to pay for my tuition and cafeteria bill. But in the summer I worked forty hours a week. And my first car I bought with my brother. It was a 1955 Bel Air Chevrolet, two door hardtop, crème over orange. We even put a new coat of paint on it. But in the end it wasn’t good enough for us. Dad never accused us of being geniuses. Upon reflection I think I managed my money best as a kid. March 25, 2003 If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again. [This message has been edited by Larry C (03-25-2003 12:13 AM).] |
||
| © Copyright 2003 Larry Chadwick - All Rights Reserved | |||
|
Janet Marie Member Laureate
since 2000-01-22
Posts 18554 |
the moth is late for class  but will be back with her make up work  "and when we get to the pearly gates ... |
||
|
kaile
since 2000-02-06
Posts 5146singapore |
walking both shoulders of the road as far away from home as I could get away with. Larry, i don't know why but i love this line..i imagined a kid nervous, perhaps shaking but nonetheless swaggering his way, for he knows he is earning his own keep.. |
||
|
Larry C
since 2001-09-10
Posts 10286United States |
kaile, You are not too far off! Thanks so much.  If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again. |
||
|
Janet Marie Member Laureate
since 2000-01-22
Posts 18554 |
Now you are tapping into midwest moth memories of me and sis filling our red flyer wagon with soda bottles and going to the dime store to cash them in for candy necklaces See how you are....tricking us into memory evoked smiles with your poetry... how clever of you  |
||
|
Larry C
since 2001-09-10
Posts 10286United States |
JM, Where was my head. I had no intention of ignoring your first reply. Sorry. Well I knew I wasn't finding all the bottles! Thank you for your kindness. If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again. |
||
|
Dark Angel Member Patricius
since 1999-08-04
Posts 10095 |
This brings back memories...my brother and I used to scan the streets and neighbourhood for aluminium (aluminum)cans for some pocket money, we'd gather sacks and sacks full. But thinking back right now I do not recall what I did with the money or where it went. hehe But I do rem the fun my brother and I had collecting them and then stomping them down to a 10 mil thickness  again.. thank you Larry.  Maree. The clouds never expect it when it rains, but the sea, changes colour, but the sea, does not change. |
||
|
Larry C
since 2001-09-10
Posts 10286United States |
Maree, We always found a way to get our hands on some cash, didn't we? Thank you. If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again. |
||
|
miscellanea Member Elite
since 2004-06-24
Posts 4060OH |
Larry, I'm glad I went back to this. Before I return to work, I want to read and post on every one! Ginger was a very astute teacher to give the kids such a topic, one that they could well relate to and one that would be very telling. I smiled as I read this, remembering those returnable popbottles and exploding paper sacks due to all the weight they held in glass! Yes! My wages were a cent per dead fly and a penny a worm for Grandpa's fishing! Unfortunately, the best worms were found in the barnyard under rocks and wood. Yuck! But those pennies added up! miscellanea |
||
|
Larry C
since 2001-09-10
Posts 10286United States |
Cathy, Fun stories you have to share. And thank you for the kind words to Ginger's insights. You are persistant if you manage to read all of these. But it does indeed mean a lot to me as this was a very personal subject. If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again. |
||
Skyfire
since 2000-12-27
Posts 3381Riding |
I feel gyped; I never got to pull weeds for a penny apiece. Enjoyed and then He created the horse... |
||
|
Larry C
since 2001-09-10
Posts 10286United States |
Rhonda, You are too cute! Thanks for stopping by.If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again. |
||
|
|
⇧ top of page ⇧ |
|
| All times are ET (US). All dates are in Year-Month-Day format. | ||
