Lasting Investments by Dr. Juan Harrison
[adning id=”33097″]
A young man fresh out of high school and heading to college stopped by with a gift for my wife for her support over the years. He had some scholarship help but not nearly enough. His mom is a single mother of modest means. It brought back memories of low college wages as I worked at feed mills, seismographing, construction and a dozen other things to help put myself through college with no monetary help from a single mom myself.
I told him to not let money be the excuse for not following through on his goal to get his degree. I reminded him that as he fights his way toward survival at his school he will begin to see people step forward to help him succeed. Most of us are a sucker for a hard working young person determined to overcome some tough odds. Money can be found, college loans as a last resort, as they can serve as a weight to hold you back when repayment comes due. I’m living proof you can do it. For me it meant no car until my senior college year and a limited social life.
[adning id=”33207″]
I viewed college as a job that I had to get done, however possible. It included regular visits to the blood bank at 5 dollars a donation and eating leftovers from the banquet I had just help serve. I worked at the college library and worked my way to be a dorm resident supervisor getting room and board for that job. ROTC at $40/50 a month helped cover books and fees. Scratch and claw, scratch and claw.
That was my advice to the young man. Don’t lose sight of your goal. Bend but don’t break. Make every penny you can and make every penny count. Old Farmers Co-op let me work unlimited hours in the summer approaching 100 hours a week. I had trouble staying awake in church on Sundays. I had a goal and was bound to reach it. Other jobs filled in during Christmas vacation. Every penny counted. People stepped forward to give me opportunities. I just had to take advantage of them.
It’s probably harder to find those ambitious, motivated hungry young people today who are bound to succeed and won’t take no for an answer. If we’re fortunate we might get to be a part of their success as they seek encouragement and assistance along the way. The blessings will be ours. There’s probably someone out there right now, maybe a relative, who may just need a timely boost or a little help getting it all done. What we invest in is what we get back. Maybe there’s someone worthy of investing in today.
[adning id=”33207″]
[adning id=”33207″]
