As mentioned on my home and about me pages I grew up as a farm kid with chores etc. These all gained me skills and knowledge. As for spending money my main way of getting it was collecting bottles and cans. This process entailed three musketeers for my pony “Dolly” and dog “Lady” and myself would get an old burlap sack and hang it off the saddle horn.
Down the trail (which were ditches) we would go and pick bottles and cans. Once the sack was full back home we would go all hungry and wanting different things. Oats for Dolly, milk bones and leftover scraps for Lady and for me well some of mom’s good ole homemade cooking. This ritual would repeat as weather and free time allowed.
Once enough bottles and cans were collected mom or dad would load it up in the truck and off we would go with my “precious cargo”. Once arriving at the bottle depot the staff there would tally up the cans and bottles.
I remember the fulfilling feeling I would get as I watched them convert the tally into cents and dollars. This feeling would reach its peak as they would hand over the bills and coins into my hands. Back in the truck I would count it and then ask my parents to stop at the corner store confectionary.
Walking into it was like walking into paradise for it had candy galore, and also sports card packs. So usually the bottle earnings was spent on candy and sports cards. Not wanting to forget my trustee sidekicks though I would usually make sure I had some sugar cubes for Dolly and some soft dog food bought from the grocery store that would be in the shape of hamburger patties. I was sure this would keep them excited for our next round of collecting bottles.
What did I learn from this venture? That as fast as I could make it, that I could spend it as well 🙂
