| Letters and Diary Non-Fiction posted December 8, 2017 | Chapters: |
...8 9 -10- 11 
|
  |
Biographical Vignette
A chapter in the book Non-Fiction
When a Dollar Was Worth a Dollar
by michaelcahill
I miss the good old days. I loved being young and free. Life had no consequences, and things were of value. A shiny nickel would get you a chocolate bar. Even a penny would get you a gum drop or a whistle to drive someone crazy with ... value.
I may have taken a while to come to a complete understanding of the value of a dollar, however. At five-years-old, a genuine silver dollar seemed like a great deal of money to me. It was certainly more spectacular in appearance than even an economically powerful quarter. I had some limited experience with the heady purchasing power of a quarter.
As I arrived at Fisher's Market at the corner of Curtis Avenue and Alhambra Road, memories of full bags of candy purchased with quarters filled my head. The silver dollar, given to me by drunken Uncle Earl, weighed heavily in my pocket, frequently brushed by with my hand to make sure it was secure. I learned later that "Uncle" was an honorary title bestowed upon Earl to give some dignity to his station in life as my grandmother's beau, or belly warmer, if you will. In any case, that is a story for another time, and a different audience.
I walked into the market and grabbed a shopping cart. I knew I couldn't possibly carry what a silver dollar could purchase in my small hands. The cart was a little taller than I, but I was athletic and determined, well able to navigate with little damage to property or fellow shopper.
I filled my cart up with candy, and figured I could add quite a few toys to the mix, as well. I pushed my cart up to the checkout counter and unloaded it onto the conveyor belt. Mrs. Falcon checked away, and I waited patiently.
Finally, she finished and looked around for the customer who had purchased all the goodies. After a few moments, she looked down and realized it was yours truly. I smiled and handed her the silver dollar.
I don't know how much the total was. I had filled the shopping cart up with most of the candy and toys the market had in stock.
It was then that I discovered that being darling was a tremendous asset in this dog eat dog world. It was a lesson learned and kept at the ready even to this day when very few remnants of my darlingness remain.
True Story Contest contest entry
I miss the good old days. I loved being young and free. Life had no consequences, and things were of value. A shiny nickel would get you a chocolate bar. Even a penny would get you a gum drop or a whistle to drive someone crazy with ... value.
I may have taken a while to come to a complete understanding of the value of a dollar, however. At five-years-old, a genuine silver dollar seemed like a great deal of money to me. It was certainly more spectacular in appearance than even an economically powerful quarter. I had some limited experience with the heady purchasing power of a quarter.
As I arrived at Fisher's Market at the corner of Curtis Avenue and Alhambra Road, memories of full bags of candy purchased with quarters filled my head. The silver dollar, given to me by drunken Uncle Earl, weighed heavily in my pocket, frequently brushed by with my hand to make sure it was secure. I learned later that "Uncle" was an honorary title bestowed upon Earl to give some dignity to his station in life as my grandmother's beau, or belly warmer, if you will. In any case, that is a story for another time, and a different audience.
I walked into the market and grabbed a shopping cart. I knew I couldn't possibly carry what a silver dollar could purchase in my small hands. The cart was a little taller than I, but I was athletic and determined, well able to navigate with little damage to property or fellow shopper.
I filled my cart up with candy, and figured I could add quite a few toys to the mix, as well. I pushed my cart up to the checkout counter and unloaded it onto the conveyor belt. Mrs. Falcon checked away, and I waited patiently.
Finally, she finished and looked around for the customer who had purchased all the goodies. After a few moments, she looked down and realized it was yours truly. I smiled and handed her the silver dollar.
I don't know how much the total was. I had filled the shopping cart up with most of the candy and toys the market had in stock.
It was then that I discovered that being darling was a tremendous asset in this dog eat dog world. It was a lesson learned and kept at the ready even to this day when very few remnants of my darlingness remain.
I may have taken a while to come to a complete understanding of the value of a dollar, however. At five-years-old, a genuine silver dollar seemed like a great deal of money to me. It was certainly more spectacular in appearance than even an economically powerful quarter. I had some limited experience with the heady purchasing power of a quarter.
As I arrived at Fisher's Market at the corner of Curtis Avenue and Alhambra Road, memories of full bags of candy purchased with quarters filled my head. The silver dollar, given to me by drunken Uncle Earl, weighed heavily in my pocket, frequently brushed by with my hand to make sure it was secure. I learned later that "Uncle" was an honorary title bestowed upon Earl to give some dignity to his station in life as my grandmother's beau, or belly warmer, if you will. In any case, that is a story for another time, and a different audience.
I walked into the market and grabbed a shopping cart. I knew I couldn't possibly carry what a silver dollar could purchase in my small hands. The cart was a little taller than I, but I was athletic and determined, well able to navigate with little damage to property or fellow shopper.
I filled my cart up with candy, and figured I could add quite a few toys to the mix, as well. I pushed my cart up to the checkout counter and unloaded it onto the conveyor belt. Mrs. Falcon checked away, and I waited patiently.
Finally, she finished and looked around for the customer who had purchased all the goodies. After a few moments, she looked down and realized it was yours truly. I smiled and handed her the silver dollar.
I don't know how much the total was. I had filled the shopping cart up with most of the candy and toys the market had in stock.
It was then that I discovered that being darling was a tremendous asset in this dog eat dog world. It was a lesson learned and kept at the ready even to this day when very few remnants of my darlingness remain.
You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.
© Copyright 2024. michaelcahill All rights reserved. Registered copyright with FanStory.
michaelcahill has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
