I was Born in 1976. In a little Island in the Caribbean known as Cuba. The province I grew up in was known as Matanzas, the same province where Varadero Beach is Located. Where I grew up was a little town that was very poor an hour drive at least from Varadero or any city. Growing up I never had any toys from stores or anything like kids have today. My most advanced toys where a pocketful of glass marbles and a home made wooden top that my dad made me. I grew up bare footed running around out doors and playing marbles with my friends after school. On week ends the days where never long enough for all the fun we had. We would ride horses to the river, swim and fish, make bird cages from palm tree leaves and forage for all kinds of fruits. I had so much energy and was always so happy that I had no time to really worry about anything.
In 1987 my Dad and I Migrated to the United States by way of Panama. My Dad's brother was very well off in Boston and owned several restaurants and had been doing our papers with his lawyers and the embassy of Panama for years until my grandfathers went first, then we got to go a few years later. When I got to Panama first I could not believe the abundance of food and all kinds of toys and things my little cousins had. It was amazing, but still there we would ride skateboards most of the day and our bicycles and where super active all day. Because I was not planning on staying in Panama they did not enroll me in school and I got to spend tons of time fishing and enjoying the outdoors for the time I was there.
When I finally reached the United States I was even more amazed by the amount of toys my cousin had. He even had little cars and trucks that you could ride like a real car. The basement of the house was full of toys. My cousin still had all of these toys and he was bored most of the time and would watch cartoons for hours and lay around complaining that he was bored. I taught him how to fish right away and we would go to the lake in the Golf Course behind our house and have a blast fishing for hours. Once I got acclimated I got myself a pedal bike and with one of my friends in school learned on how to sign up to get a paper route. I then started delivering news papers and my cousin would come along. A year later I had an 80 newspaper route and would deliver news papers all week then on the week ends would sell lemonade on the 4th hole for the golf course that met our back yard.
One Day one of the Golfers said I could make good money as a Caddy on the week ends, so I started doing that by the time I was 13 I was already making around $150 per week between Caddying and my Paper Route. This was in 1990 and was great money for a kid. I saved my money and spent a lot on more toys and clothes as the years passed, the more I had the more I wanted and the more clutter I would accumulate as the years passed. Once I was old enough to drive I got my first car and drove around for a few years until I finished high school and joined the Marines. There I was taught the importance of good discipline and grit. I was lucky to live in the years where we did not have as much attention grabbing information coming at us from every angle. I think I was lucky to have lived this way even though to others it may have looked like I was poor. Today I look around and see kids that have it all, they are so unhappy and unappreciative because nothing seems to impress them any more. Some times I think we have gone too far with technology and commodities and now there is no turning back or undoing what we have done.
At about 4 years old outside my grandpas home in the country sitting on a home made chair. They had no electricity and the floors where made of dirt.
Kids today are soft, I used to shovel snow and made lots of cash. I think the paper routes here are all adults with cars now, my friends kid doesn't even know what a caddy is, I just asked him. Anyway nice story thanks for sharing
I like to be positive and think that there is hope some where, but man it is hard to find it.
@healthyrecipe Good day, my friend. I also had few toys growing up and I look at that as a great blessing. My brother and I used our imaginations. One of the philosophies that my dad instilled in me was: work hard, play hard, and love hard. So, for me, the journey has always been more important than the destination.
When I was in Malawi, few had electricity. Virtually, no one had all the things that clutter peoples' lives. But they had warm hearts. We were all one big family. Things mess up the essential being of people. This is why I advocate sustainable living and utilizing low-tech as much as possible. I do find refrigeration, electricity, and computers to be productive. If I am in a hot climate, then I NEED AC.
Oh yes, I would be dead I think with out AC lol. I also find use in all of the things you mentioned for sure. I do not overlook the blessing of being able to communicate with cultures from all over the world with out having to immediately take a flight some where to find out what they live like. I just think we have to pick and choose how much we let in and learn how to be very grateful for all we have. Never take what we have for granted and that allows us to be happy and satisfied with out wanting to fill a big never ending void with things.
Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions we can possibly have. Thanks for sharing your story @healthyrecipe
You are welcome, and thank you for stopping in. :)
Thank you for sharing your story. I agree, we are inundated with too much information. The attitude that more means you are successful is not true. I like the idea of simplicity. Congratulations on your success!
Thank you so much for stopping in. :)
My pleasure.
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