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Half dollar allowances used to go a long way
I was about ten years old, and my sister was two years younger, when we each began to receive a weekly allowance of fifty cents. This princely sum took care of all our needs. The first thing I did each week was subtract twenty cents, which I saved for the weekly Saturday matinees we attended. Everyone in the neighborhood gang went to them; whether it was a Tom Mix adventure, Buster Keaton comedy, or even Ramon Navarro in some "icky" romance, we were always there, lined up on the two front rows of the local theater. That left me thirty cents to spend for the rest of the week. So I picked out five nickels, for the daily candy bar I bought for recess every day, when I passed that candy store which was so cleverly placed right across the street from the schoolyard. The final, leftover nickel always became a problem. Should I find something in the 5- and 10-cent store that I wanted, and spend that nickel? (Yes folks, in those days there really were items to be had at those prices.) Or, should I put it in my piggy bank and save it? Once I dropped it inside the bank, I couldn't get it back until my mother opened it with a special key. I also had a problem with my little sister, who wasn't very good at taking care of her money. She bought too much candy, bags of peanuts or sodas, forgetting about saving money for the movie. So, come Saturday afternoon, we were all ready to start out for the show, but she didn't have any money. As the gang prepared to leave, she would start to cry, and throw herself on the floor. And, of course, my mother would break down and give her the movie money. Her tears dried quickly, and she happily joined the rest of us. One time, my father happened to be there when my sister went into her usual act. "Well, if you didn't save your money, I guess you'll just have to stay home," Dad said. And despite all the tears, he meant it. When I got home from the movie that afternoon the crying had stopped, but the sulking, sniffling, and long sighs had not. Later I heard my mother on the phone talking to my grandmother. She said she hoped it wouldn't take much longer for my sister to learn her lesson. "I'm afraid Billy and I will suffer more than she did," she said, "but she has to learn he really means it. If she didn't save her money, she can't go - and we have to treat both children fairly." I always tried to remember that when it came to raising my own kids. ***** Well folks, here goes the weight thing again. The Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine tell us that over 65 percent of men and 47 percent of American women were overweight in the year 2000, and this is increasing every year. The biggest risk factors for developing Type II diabetes are not exercising and general lack of physical activity among seniors. Don't be a part of these statistics. And remember that pushing yourself away from the dinner table should be your first exercise. That may be a funny, but let's take it to heart. (Hey, two jests in a row.) ***** The Panhandle Senior Travelers Club continues to meet from 5 to 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, at Bayview Senior Center. This nonprofit group has some interesting short trips planned for the near future. If you like the idea of traveling with others of a similar age (50 and older) and from your own area, check them out. Dues are only $15 per year. For information, contact Carolyn Reeves, a seasoned traveler who formed the group last year, at 476-8621. ***** Here's a useful quote from the Wisdom of Women: "You can't shake hands with a clenched fist." (Indira Gandhi) |
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