When I graduated from high school, my father encouraged me to take a year off of school. He knew that I would excel further and work harder if I truly understood the value of a dollar. I used to think the concept of learning a dollar’s worth was ridiculous. Obviously, I knew the value of a dollar. It was not until I took my father’s advice, moved out on my own, and acquired numerous jobs that I finally understood what he wanted to teach me. Your income, assuming you are not inherently rich as so few are, is a result of the strenuous work that you dedicate to bettering your situation. Whether your “situation” is providing a home for your children, medical services for your parents, or in my case continuing my education, pursuing life’s necessities takes incredible drive and lots and lots of money.
As a senior in high school, I applied for numerous art colleges. When I saw the tuition for each school, often costing over $35,000 a year, the numbers to me were just characters without meaning. I enrolled at Savannah …show more content…
I soon had to acquire another job, and then another just to afford the rent in Memphis. It was not until the company I worked for was bought and myself laid off that I realized working three jobs for a living wasn’t living at all. Four years had passed since I decided to take a year off, and I finally understood not only what a dollar was worth, but what an education could help me achieve. While at times I feel I wasted much of my youth working many labor intensive jobs, I can not dispute that the experience I gained is invaluable. My father provided the means for me to learn so much more than I am sure even he anticipated. Now I know I want to use my brain for a living, and I want to help other people better their lives through a means more meaningful than physical labor. I plan to attain a job that I leave feeling fulfilled, and where I am utilized as an integral part of my