Myspace Blog

Below is a blog I posted on myspace last week. Below that is a comment left by a friend from Kentucky. I thought I'd share it here too, just in case some of you want to add your two cents worth :-)

Get A Job

I started working at age 15. I worked fifteen to twenty hours a week at Chic-fil-a in the mall. By age 17 I had two jobs. My "day" job at a print shop paid about $400 a month. I used the money to pay for a new car. My "night" job was delivering pizza. The new car came in real convenient, and the pay-plus-tips pay scheme allowed me to afford dating. During the summers I worked full-time at a cemetery. The work was hot and sometimes dreary, but I thought I was absolutely rich making a little over $200 a week.

I worked because there wasn't anyone giving me money. Mom provided all the basics for me, but if I wanted anything more then I had to find a way to pay for it. This is the part where you can feel sorry for me :-) I think I hear an echo...walking uphill both ways to school in the snow, even in Alabama...

Things are a little different for my children. We encourage them to play sports and be involved with their school. They don't have to work during baseball or football or whatever season it is. I don't fund their social lives the way they might want, but neither do they lack for gas or a little date money.

Now here's my question: is one way better than the other? I see advantages to growing up either way. I'd like to know how you, my myspace friends, see this matter. Comment or message me. What did you do with your children? Or what do you think you'll do with your children in the future?

Comment From Judith:

Hey Taylor-I have to respond to this because of our experience. We always had a nice home & our children had nice stuff - but no tv's in their bedrooms & no designer clothes. Our son, like you, started working at age 14 for a local builder doing clean-up work. He always worked from then on. We paid $1000 for a 72 Chev pu stepsider that we called rainbow because it had so many colors & he worked the summer he was 16 to paint it-upholster it-put new tires & wheels on it(with a little help from dad-he was in the wholesale tire business) & just when he finished & it was the coolest looking truck sold it & bought a newer monster 4X4 what I call monster truck. He quit baseball his senior year because he was working at UPS part time in Jax. He will be 30 years old Monday & owns a beautiful home (he & his wife built) on 7 acres - works for the steel mill - has an AC business on the side (he is licensed) - owns a trailer park in Macclenny - a trailer park in Jax. - 3 rental homes. Has 2 sons, 1 daughter and a new baby boy due next month. His goal is to retire by age 45 from the steel mill and is ontrack to do that. Is he happy? I don't think so. With all of this drive to acquire- he has lost the most important thing he could have - his relationship with the Lord. I pray that one day he'll realize that & do something about it. Our daughters were raised in the same home with same principles and are different-not so driven for material stuff. One is living for the Lord - one is not. I don't think there is a yes or no - right or wrong answer for you. I think we have to prayerfully do what we think is best for our children. I sure don't think we did everything right but I can't really think of anything I would change if I could. Sorry this is so lengthy but I wanted you to see the whole pic.