Proving People Wrong

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I used to be what Dr. Phil calls, “a right fighter” – I always had to be right about everything. I spent hours reading volumes of World Book encyclopedias to prove my points. I would get lost inside them and soak up as much knowledge as my head would hold.

But despite my insatiable desire to learn, I lacked – what do you call it? – oh yeah, common sense.

My sisters and I would ask Dad for a penny so we could get a gum ball. The request for 3 cents sent him over the edge. Our “budget” did not include such frivolous expenses as gum balls.

“You think money grows on trees?” My father would bellow.

Absolutely, I do! And to prove it, I planted change in various places in the back yard, mostly to PROVE HIM WRONG, but also to prove myself right. I patiently waited for the day my trees would grow, so I could say, “SEE, DAD! MONEY REALLY DOES GROW ON TREES!”

Every day I ran to the window, searching the back yard for the tiny sticks I stuck in the ground to mark my trees and expecting a Jack-in-the-Beanstalk experience. I couldn’t wait to see my trees reach through the clouds and run all the way to Heaven. I was going to have penny trees, nickel trees, dime trees, and quarter trees, because I had planted change all over the back yard.

And then my dad mowed the lawn and obliterated all of my tiny sticks so I couldn’t find my future money trees. How could I water them now? They were merely money graves without headstones. I was devastated, and along with my tiny sticks, my “magical thinking” was mowed down as well.

I think about that back yard sometimes, about going to the front door holding a shovel in my hand and asking the people who now live there if they would allow me to dig up their back yard. I could really use the money.

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5 thoughts on “Proving People Wrong”

  1. I think I would have hung money from a tree, folded my arms and fell into that self-satisfied smile that only camera proof can bring!

  2. You’ve just taught all of us a great way to save money, as long as the lack of earned interest doesn’t bother us.

  3. What you planted was change, and hasn’t your life since then had more and bigger change? It worked: The change has grown.

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