In my quest to fix The Senator’s more liberal leanings (work=bad if you can get free handouts), I’ve created a household “Help Wanted” list for him. I describe jobs which, when completed, can earn the worker bee an entire quarter. I also explained that 35 quarters is just how much a new Bionicle costs and Mom and Dad won’t tell him how to spend money he has earned himself. He was game, and took a shine to the idea of laboring for his own dough. Some days he’s begging me to find work for him.
So all is well…until The Senator starts getting careless with his cash. He starts leaving it around the house in different spots. I warned him several times that money left lying about is apt to get lost or picked up by someone else. The safest place for his money is in his bank.
Did he listen?
No.
Do they ever?
No.
Saturday he had counted out seven quarters and left them on the kitchen table. I reminded him about the general safety of unattended coins. He paid no heed. So when The Senator left to go play downstairs, I took three of his quarters and returned them to Accounts Payable: the tin can where I store loose change.
Some of you may want to split hairs and call it “stealing.” I prefer to think of it as “teaching a lesson.”
Later that afternoon he came back and recounted his quarters and discovered the loss. I didn’t think it was possible for a bottom lip to drop that low. He was taking a deep breath to start the wail when I cut him off:
Did you leave your money on the counter?sullen nod
Did I warn you about leaving it there?
sullen nod
Then I suggest you put the remaining quarters in your bank before those are lost as well.
He deposited the coin. He still looked sad, so I tried to cheer him up a bit.
Buck up, Senator! Think of it as paying taxes. If Gore were president, you’d be missing six quarters instead of three.
An expensive lesson, none the less. I hope it's one well-learned.
Posted by: aelfheld at January 20, 2004 04:15 PMYou've taught him a very valuable lesson, indeed...beware of women who say they love you, cuz as soon as you're not looking, they'll screw you out of your hard-earned money. :^)
Posted by: picklejuice at January 20, 2004 07:36 PM
Poor kid. That said, I know Samantha has a $50 note somewhere in her room (well it's certainly not the $15 we found in the laundry that was almost certainly hers but has been reclaimed by the original source) but I'll be damned if I can find it underneath the rest of the junk in there.
Ooh, ooh - alternate smart arsed comment: "If Gore were President, at least The Senator would be able to find a job with a decent wage."
Posted by: picklejuice at January 20, 2004 07:50 PMBah! While I will admit that having Gore as Commander in Chief would result in a rise in the Minimum Wage (new laws - yeah!), I will counter that this would not necessarily mean The Senator could find a job any easier. Because along with Minimum Wage legislation, would also come things like mandated 100% employer-paid health care and rising corporate taxes so companies would end up implementing hiring freezes and lay-offs. Unemployment skyrockets, and The Senator lives here in the basement of The Outpost until he's 30. Ta-Da! :)
And ooooh - that was a good one - "Beware of Females Claiming 'I Love You.'" Liked it!
Posted by: Cathy at January 20, 2004 08:29 PM