Let’s have a little fun, shall we? I want to share a little bit about my past to provide some context on how I got to where I am today. However, I’ll refrain from delving into details about previous relationships, underage partying, and countless all-nighters which also played a part. Perhaps, that’s a story for another time…
My childhood:
Change and family were the only constants in my childhood. My family relocated every one to three years for reasons that I still do not understand. Despite my parents having stable jobs and our extended family staying put, I was constantly adapting to new surroundings, making new friends, and reassessing my possessions. The schools that I attended always seemed to be decent. And while I never seemed to have the same possessions as my friends, I always had a roof over my head with my basic needs covered.
In retrospect, life was pretty simple. I spent lots of time playing street hockey, golfing with grandparents, and stomping on my beloved stomp rocket. From what I remember, I was given a fair bit of autonomy to bike, scooter, and roller blade around the neighborhood without much supervision. I was encouraged by my parents to be independent, make decisions, and figure things out on my own.
Adolescence:
When I was 11, my family picked up and moved [again…] to a new area in mid-Michigan. And while still modest, this was a nicer area than I was used to. We lived in a what felt like a nice “normal” neighborhood. Well maintained <2,000 sq foot homes, no sidewalks, a half-acre backyard to play in. That said, we were less than a quarter mile from absolutely “luxury”. 4,000+ sq ft homes, lake view, and pristine landscaping. I remember making it my goal to someday buy a beautiful, big, brick home like the ones down the street.
As I started to make friends, I quickly realized what material possessions I didn’t have. My neighbor had a playstation 3 compared to my playstation one from the antique store. My other friend had a laptop and high-speed internet to play RuneScape on. If I wanted to play, I had to suffer through dial-up internet at home, or walk to the library to use their high-speed internet. Heck, I had to text girls on my friend’s cell phone because I didn’t have a texting package on mine. I remember asking for these things to keep up with my friends, but was told “no” or that we couldn’t afford them.
It became very clear to me that if I wanted some of these “nice” things that the other kids had, that I was going to need to start making money. Not through my parents, but on my own. When I was just barely old enough to work [15?] I put on a full-suit that I had purchased from goodwill and walked down to the library. I told them that I wanted to work there and ended up getting an interview. Long story short, they offered me a job to shelve books and help with some of the weekend crafts. They ended up offering me above minimum wage at the time, and I was able to get a decent amount of hours. Life was great.
I wanted more though. At the time, I was a regular at the new YMCA down the road. I was one of the first members there and was going multiple times a week. Every single time I went in, I made a note to greet the staff; the membership manager, the front desk worker, and the fitness coordinator, the janitor, etc. After doing this for a while, I ended up walking into the manager’s office and asking for a job. Because I knew everyone, they were quick to say “yes”. They put me on the front desk, gave me a key, and let me do my thing.
I finally felt like I had money. I was able to purchase my own phone plan, pay for my own gas, rent movies from blockbuster, buy coke slushies, and get the occasional jersey sub from the place down the road. Life was good. I knew absolutely nothing about saving, but that didn’t matter. I was able to fund a certain lifestyle and felt independent and ready to take on the world. At least until college…
… To be continued …