The Richest Poor Kid on my Block
A poor boy with three jobs at 10.52 total reviews
Comment from JonesPJ
You really were a rich kid--because of your attitude and your drive. Three jobs when you were ten, starting at 4 am. Not many are so ambitious! And you didn't see yourself as poor--no doubt you were too busy being productive.
Love this story and you tell it so well.
reply by the author on 22-Jan-2025
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You really were a rich kid--because of your attitude and your drive. Three jobs when you were ten, starting at 4 am. Not many are so ambitious! And you didn't see yourself as poor--no doubt you were too busy being productive.
Love this story and you tell it so well.
Comment Written 21-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 22-Jan-2025
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Yes ma'am. I was a very busy boy. Thank you so much for the kind words and review. I truly appreciate that!
Comment from Rachelle Allen
Well, you certainly were an ambitious soul! Where did that come from? I love "backstories" of everyone!
I just saw a Saturday Night Live skit the other night about Christmas. The husband and wife were sitting on their couch, in a reverie about the day and how much they had loved it. But their Norman Rockwell words were interspersed with visual flashes of what had ACTUALLY happened throughout the day, and they were not even marginally similar.
That's the way this story of yours affected me. You were ten years old and working three freakin jobs! There were hippies smoking marijuana in a public park in your town. Your cousin died in war. Yet, in your reveries, life was perfect.
Thanks for the interesting read!
reply by the author on 21-Jan-2025
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Well, you certainly were an ambitious soul! Where did that come from? I love "backstories" of everyone!
I just saw a Saturday Night Live skit the other night about Christmas. The husband and wife were sitting on their couch, in a reverie about the day and how much they had loved it. But their Norman Rockwell words were interspersed with visual flashes of what had ACTUALLY happened throughout the day, and they were not even marginally similar.
That's the way this story of yours affected me. You were ten years old and working three freakin jobs! There were hippies smoking marijuana in a public park in your town. Your cousin died in war. Yet, in your reveries, life was perfect.
Thanks for the interesting read!
Comment Written 21-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 21-Jan-2025
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I know right? I guess that is the demeanor of a 10-year-old out to make a buck. Of course, it was sad when my cousin was killed in Vietnam. I never forgot him. Thank you so much for your insight into my story! I really appreciate that!
Comment from Bill Schott
I enjoyed this story of your growing up and making your way without a lot of regard for the detractors you had growing up. The perseverance and can-do attitude were the mainstay of your life. Neat story.
reply by the author on 21-Jan-2025
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I enjoyed this story of your growing up and making your way without a lot of regard for the detractors you had growing up. The perseverance and can-do attitude were the mainstay of your life. Neat story.
Comment Written 21-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 21-Jan-2025
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Thank you so much Bill! I really appreciate your kind words and kind review!!!!
Comment from papa55mike
You don't need money to be rich. It is what lives inside of you that makes you happy. This story is wonderfully written. Best of luck with your writing! Have a great day, and God bless.
mike
reply by the author on 21-Jan-2025
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You don't need money to be rich. It is what lives inside of you that makes you happy. This story is wonderfully written. Best of luck with your writing! Have a great day, and God bless.
mike
Comment Written 21-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 21-Jan-2025
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Thank you so much Mike. And yes, you are so right. It is what is inside of us that makes us happy! I really appreciate your kind words and review!
Comment from Mintybee
I enjoyed reading this story. I can't imagine being ten and having three jobs. It seems like you enjoyed them though. You're right; it would not be safe anymore for a child to bike all over town alone. I'm glad you were able to do that before it got so dangerous.
Mintybee
reply by the author on 21-Jan-2025
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I enjoyed reading this story. I can't imagine being ten and having three jobs. It seems like you enjoyed them though. You're right; it would not be safe anymore for a child to bike all over town alone. I'm glad you were able to do that before it got so dangerous.
Mintybee
Comment Written 18-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 21-Jan-2025
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Yes, Mintybee. I am so glad I was able to have a FREE childhood that many cannot today. Thank you so much for your kind words. I really appreciate that!
Comment from Darlene BoClair
Harry having three jobs at your age doesn't downplay the reputation of what you share as experiences of "the good old day", relived. I am amazed that you do remember people, places, and things that happened in your own life personally. Good story to also share with historical and economic readers.
reply by the author on 21-Jan-2025
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Harry having three jobs at your age doesn't downplay the reputation of what you share as experiences of "the good old day", relived. I am amazed that you do remember people, places, and things that happened in your own life personally. Good story to also share with historical and economic readers.
Comment Written 18-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 21-Jan-2025
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Thank you so much Darlene. I truly appreciate your kind words and review!!!
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I totally enjoyed the story.
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Thank you so much!
Comment from Tom Horonzy
Golly gee, I thought this was me you were writing of. I, too, had multiple jobs, including morning and evening paper deliveries, shoveling snow in winter, mowing lawns in summer, and then in college roaming the roadside for refundable bottles. We don't see that initiative in children any more.
reply by the author on 17-Jan-2025
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Golly gee, I thought this was me you were writing of. I, too, had multiple jobs, including morning and evening paper deliveries, shoveling snow in winter, mowing lawns in summer, and then in college roaming the roadside for refundable bottles. We don't see that initiative in children any more.
Comment Written 17-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 17-Jan-2025
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Thank you sir for your kind reveiw. And yes, you are so right. We don't see that because kids are in the house blowing up stuff on WWII gaming boxes. We were outside riding bikes and playing basketball lol!
Comment from Carol Hillebrenner
This is really good writing with a lot of heart. You proved your point that you were the richest poor kid on the block, and you made sure you really weren't poor. It's amazing how much energy you had to hold down three jobs. You are right about it seeming like kids were safe running around town, but that didn't last much longer. There were a few non-essential words that you will make more note of as you write and find a way to skip them. For example, you mention your age twice at the beginning of para. two. Keep up the good work of telling a good story.
reply by the author on 17-Jan-2025
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This is really good writing with a lot of heart. You proved your point that you were the richest poor kid on the block, and you made sure you really weren't poor. It's amazing how much energy you had to hold down three jobs. You are right about it seeming like kids were safe running around town, but that didn't last much longer. There were a few non-essential words that you will make more note of as you write and find a way to skip them. For example, you mention your age twice at the beginning of para. two. Keep up the good work of telling a good story.
Comment Written 17-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 17-Jan-2025
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Well, thank you so much Carol for your kind review. I really appreciate that! And thanks for catching my oops too!
Comment from samandlancelot
Hi Harry,
Times are different, that's for sure.
At first, this seemed like a children's story, with your ten-year-old protagonist, but then you got into adult issues of marijuana, war, and death, which might not be appropriate for children. If this were a memoir of when you were a child, it would still be an adult story unless it is written for children to read.)
Spell out the number ten. I used to follow the rule to spell out all numbers one through ten, but when I searched the internet, it showed to spell out one through one hundred.
doctors were bamboozled (a fun word for a children's story)
customer's porches. (customers' - plural)
Patricia
reply by the author on 17-Jan-2025
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Hi Harry,
Times are different, that's for sure.
At first, this seemed like a children's story, with your ten-year-old protagonist, but then you got into adult issues of marijuana, war, and death, which might not be appropriate for children. If this were a memoir of when you were a child, it would still be an adult story unless it is written for children to read.)
Spell out the number ten. I used to follow the rule to spell out all numbers one through ten, but when I searched the internet, it showed to spell out one through one hundred.
doctors were bamboozled (a fun word for a children's story)
customer's porches. (customers' - plural)
Patricia
Comment Written 16-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 17-Jan-2025
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Well, thank you Patricia for you kind review. Yes, it is a story about what a ten year old boy saw during his childhood. Children today see much worse as their student peers are being shot in classrooms around America. So, my childhood is quite calm compared to today's children. The changing of our cruel world. I really feel for them today.
Comment from DonandVicki
Sometimes it takes a little adversity to give you the incentive to get ahead. It sounds like you have the incentive to do your best and get ahead. Well written.
reply by the author on 17-Jan-2025
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Sometimes it takes a little adversity to give you the incentive to get ahead. It sounds like you have the incentive to do your best and get ahead. Well written.
Comment Written 16-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 17-Jan-2025
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Thank you so much Don and Vicki for your kind words. I really appreciate that!
