Even as a little kid, I'd always worked.
The difference with kids today is that many have never worked.
Maybe this is a consequence of our relative financial successes - but it doesn't seem to be in the best interest of future generations.
I grew up in the inland desert town of Riverside, California.
Half my childhood was spent deep in the hood, while the other half was spent in the sprawl of the area's suburban hills.
But regardless of location or financial circumstance - I'd always worked.
While in the 'burbs:
I used to pull weeds in the sweltering desert sun at neighbors homes for one dollar an hour.
I used to set up and run Kool-Aid stands.
I used to substitute babysit for my older sister.
I used to watch homes when neighbors went on vacation.
I used to mow lawns, wash and walk dogs, and wash cars - anything to supplement my minuscule allowance.
My best friends would sell Kool-Aid and used golf balls to duffers at the nearby golf course.
Many had newspaper routes and also mowed lawns.
We kids always had a hustle.
While in the 'hood;
We would collect protection money from the weaker children (sometimes paid by their parents).
We would sell pornographic magazines and condoms to adults and children.
We would break into vacant apartments and charge kids to come to our parties.
We would charge 25 cents a pop to take a neighbor's trash to the dumpsters.
We would collect and sell aluminum cans.
While we never got into the drug and prostitution business - we were on good terms with those who did.
Even in college, I worked.
Not so much to make money, but more in response to my grandmother's threat of cutting my $150 a week allowance.
Since the sewage plant job sounded as though it was the worst on campus - that's what I did.
Upon hearing of me working at a sewage job - my grandmother increased my allowance to $250 a week.
Even after paying for all fees, tuition, books, meal plans, dorm fees and anything else associated with college - $150 a week in spending money put me in the "poor" group of those at my school.
Before I started working at and running bars and clubs - we would always try to make a quick 10 or 20k by putting on Raves.
This business can make a lot of money in a short time,
but if caught - the legal fees, bail and fines wipe out most of one's profits.
After one such incident, I took a second job (probably my worst job ever) making cardboard boxes.
This wasn't something I could do for more than a week so I quit after four days.
But I still needing to pay off some business losses.
I learned construction from some friends in the business.
Since most of the complex mitre cuts of custom homes required a bit of math, I was a natural.
After a few years of solving problems others created by their lack of skill, I developed a reputation as the man to call when someone effed something up.
(Re-building costs more so I did 'aight.)
What's the point?
Only that no one should expect everything to be given to them.
That sometimes we must work jobs that we don't like.
That the downturn in the economy can be overtaken by one's ability to work and properly manage one's resources..
