My parents have instilled strong work ethic in me. I have had a job since I have been 12 years old, delivering newspapers in -12 degree weather every sunday until I was 14. Then, I was hired at McDonald’s and worked there until I turned 17. At 17, I was employed a month later at the retail store I currently work at (due to their social media policy, I cannot disclose who I work for).
I did not have these jobs out of necessity, to be quite honest I didn’t need to have them at all. My dad made pretty good bank up until a year ago when he was laid off. Even when I had a job, if I asked for something I usually got it.
Car? Paid for.
Can’t pay insurance this month? No problem.
Help paying overdraft fees cause I didn’t bother to balance my checking account like I should? Sure, hope you learned your lesson.
Can’t pay smartphone bill because work cut your hours due to holiday season being over? Here’s a fifty.
No, I did not work because I had too. I worked because I wanted too and my parents have always encouraged me to understand the value of a dollar. So while I have always gotten what I wanted, I know exactly where it comes from and how much work it takes to get it.
Now that college is nearing and my dad has no job, money has become the biggest issue of my life. Never before have I had to rely completely on myself to cover bills and with that said, never before did my parents have to rely on me to cover bills.
Recently my dad had to ask me for $500 dollars to cover a a truck repair. It wasn’t that I didn’t have the money (I have much more than $500 stashed away) it was the fact my parents were relying on me and I know how much it killed them to do so. To them, it isn’t suppose to work that way and to my dad, he has worked too hard for it to be that way. And yet here he was, my father asking me for money to cover a truck repair.
We had reached a breaking point financially.
Of course, I willingly transferred the money. Honestly, $500 dollars isn’t that a big of a deal to me in this matter. My parents were making payment plans to pay me back, but I didn’t once expect the money back. The money was moot, losing $500 dollars just meant a trip to California would be postponed.
With all this said, I am nervous. While I have always managed to cover various bills (smartphone bill, car insurance and my various online properties) nothing has prepared me for the one thing that is needed to make more money, and will also put me in the most debt.
College.
Due to my parents financial situation, they cannot afford to help me pay for a dime of my college. This is due to how much money my dad made last year and the fact my mom is a teacher, financial aid is basically out the question. As for scholarships, I will get some no problem, but not significant ones by any means.
For the first time in my life, I am going to take on a burden I am not sure I can handle.
You don’t understand how much this affects me, I am always sure of myself and I hope by writing this post, I can regain that. Writing is something that I may not be the best at, but in my eyes, it is the $500 dollars I will always have no matter what.
Hell… I think this might’ve done the trick.
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