Hard Work Pays Off
On August 26th,
I not only had to be awake at 6AM to get ready to attend my first day of junior
year but I also turned 16. I woke up and got ready for school. I was wearing bright
blue jeans with a pink and white tank top and a black flowery cardigan. Off to
school I went. While at school the thoughts of “what car I want” and “asking my
parents for a car” filled my head. Sitting at my desk looking straight at the
wall and my thinking face on, my teacher knew I was daydreaming. I was, I was
picturing going home and having a Chevy Camaro sitting in the drive way.
Yellow and black, like the bumblebee in the movie transformers. The bell
rang and I snapped out of it and boarded the bus. The whole time on the bus I
was thinking My dad was going to say no,
he hates spending money, that’s just how Richard is. My mother might say yes,
she always spoils me, I mean that’s how Bonnie is. I ran up the hill to the
dark red brick house I called home. My heart was racing, my face was on fire,
and my body was shaking while I asked my parents for a car. But of course, they
both said the usual answer, No, get a job
and save up to get one yourself. Water started filling up my view and I
felt the tears storm down my face as I ran to my room.
My parents’ voices kept filling my head, Get a job. I filled out many applications at places like K-mart, Wal-Mart, Giant, Redner, Subway, Chic-fa-lay, and Burger king. Two and a half months went by and there I was still submitting applications. Then finally, I received a call from Giant to come in for an interview. I went to the interview and a lady wearing a bright red cardigan, medium blonde hair, black slacks, and boots with about a 1.5-inch heel to them came walking into the room. My heart was beating fast and my hands were getting sweaty. Hi, I’m Kathy the woman said as she sat down and started asking me questions about work skills, family, and school. Thirty minutes went by and she gave me a tour of Giant and handed me my uniform while saying, You’re hired. I quickly dialed my home phone, crying with a grin from cheek to cheek. I worked a total of 20 hours a week and got paid weekly. One hundred dollars was put into my savings account every Friday for months.
Seven months later after seeing what I had saved, I knew it was time to go car shopping. We went to three dealerships one in Allentown, one in Bethlehem, and one in Walnutport/Slatington area. My father isn’t the easiest person to go shopping with because If it is not what he likes you can’t get it. I test drove two 2013 Camaros (both black and yellow of course), one 2012 red Chevy Cruze, and one 2011 black Dodge Avenger. My face was droopy and hot, and my eyes were watery. I decided to give up on looking. My father and I walked up to the car dealer and we both stopped as we saw the perfect car in the window. Bright shiny metallic blue. The car dealer said Isn’t it a beauty, we just put it in the display this morning. My sadness vanished and my face slowly faded to my pale reddish white color. My heart started pumping and I looked at my dad and said, This is the one. That day was the day that I learned about bills and why my mother always said, If there are bills in the mailbox, I don’t want them. I drove home in my brand new metallic blue 2014 Chevy Cruze and my heart would not stop beating so fast. My spending went from buying stuff I wanted like videogames and perfume to buying only stuff I needed like food for school and lunches for work. I made sure to have my car payment money ready for my parents each month on time since I was only 16 and couldn’t have the car in my name.
Years went by, and now I am currently 20, still working at Giant and still paying car payments for my Chevy. Although, over the years I got more bills than just a car payment. I was forced to go on my own phone plan, I have two credit cards, my car payment, and I recently moved in with my boyfriend and am paying for cable and internet. The better side of this story, was after days of seeing red and tears running down my face on my way home from work, after many days of wanting to give up and days that my heart was beating so fast each minute it got closer to going home, I realized, hard work really does pay off.
My parents always told me, Get a job and save up. Take one step at a time, you’ll get there. Motivation and time are the key to big dreams and success. I was always told to work hard for success but work harder to make dreams come true. If it wasn’t for my parents keeping me on track and for me to tell myself, Keep going you’re almost there, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today, but I am. That is all that matters.
A 20-year old girl living on her own, with many sleepless nights of homework, always so slumped with bags under her eyes, and working until sweat is pouring and tears are streaming can finally say I made it. Hard work really does pay off. I made it, and so can you.
My parents’ voices kept filling my head, Get a job. I filled out many applications at places like K-mart, Wal-Mart, Giant, Redner, Subway, Chic-fa-lay, and Burger king. Two and a half months went by and there I was still submitting applications. Then finally, I received a call from Giant to come in for an interview. I went to the interview and a lady wearing a bright red cardigan, medium blonde hair, black slacks, and boots with about a 1.5-inch heel to them came walking into the room. My heart was beating fast and my hands were getting sweaty. Hi, I’m Kathy the woman said as she sat down and started asking me questions about work skills, family, and school. Thirty minutes went by and she gave me a tour of Giant and handed me my uniform while saying, You’re hired. I quickly dialed my home phone, crying with a grin from cheek to cheek. I worked a total of 20 hours a week and got paid weekly. One hundred dollars was put into my savings account every Friday for months.
Seven months later after seeing what I had saved, I knew it was time to go car shopping. We went to three dealerships one in Allentown, one in Bethlehem, and one in Walnutport/Slatington area. My father isn’t the easiest person to go shopping with because If it is not what he likes you can’t get it. I test drove two 2013 Camaros (both black and yellow of course), one 2012 red Chevy Cruze, and one 2011 black Dodge Avenger. My face was droopy and hot, and my eyes were watery. I decided to give up on looking. My father and I walked up to the car dealer and we both stopped as we saw the perfect car in the window. Bright shiny metallic blue. The car dealer said Isn’t it a beauty, we just put it in the display this morning. My sadness vanished and my face slowly faded to my pale reddish white color. My heart started pumping and I looked at my dad and said, This is the one. That day was the day that I learned about bills and why my mother always said, If there are bills in the mailbox, I don’t want them. I drove home in my brand new metallic blue 2014 Chevy Cruze and my heart would not stop beating so fast. My spending went from buying stuff I wanted like videogames and perfume to buying only stuff I needed like food for school and lunches for work. I made sure to have my car payment money ready for my parents each month on time since I was only 16 and couldn’t have the car in my name.
Years went by, and now I am currently 20, still working at Giant and still paying car payments for my Chevy. Although, over the years I got more bills than just a car payment. I was forced to go on my own phone plan, I have two credit cards, my car payment, and I recently moved in with my boyfriend and am paying for cable and internet. The better side of this story, was after days of seeing red and tears running down my face on my way home from work, after many days of wanting to give up and days that my heart was beating so fast each minute it got closer to going home, I realized, hard work really does pay off.
My parents always told me, Get a job and save up. Take one step at a time, you’ll get there. Motivation and time are the key to big dreams and success. I was always told to work hard for success but work harder to make dreams come true. If it wasn’t for my parents keeping me on track and for me to tell myself, Keep going you’re almost there, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today, but I am. That is all that matters.
A 20-year old girl living on her own, with many sleepless nights of homework, always so slumped with bags under her eyes, and working until sweat is pouring and tears are streaming can finally say I made it. Hard work really does pay off. I made it, and so can you.
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