by Celestia Canute

Created on: March 12, 2009

It is finally here; it's payday! My hands are sweating and my mouth is watering. I have just spent the last sixteen years of my life relying solely on my parents for money. Reverberating conversations with my parents, from the past few weeks, are bouncing around in my head; today will surely lighten the stresses. It does get old having to ask for a few dollars to spend time with friends, go to a movie or bowling, and quite honestly money being given just doesn't happen anyways. Money is not in excess, and I sometimes wonder if there is ever a light at the end of the tunnel. I am making a whole $3.15 an hour, working thirty hours a week plus attending high school, and the money is now mine, all mine!

My mind trips over the endless possibilities that are now at the mercy of my spending. Will I buy my first pair of good tennis shoes to comfort my feet from all of the "plasticated", cheap, and holey ones I am use to? Will I buy my first pair of Levi's so I can feel comfortable and boost my self esteem a bit? Will I purchase extra food for my family, or let the barren cupboards hold the five or six cans left? What will I do? How will I spend this first fruitful paycheck that I worked so hard for?

As I wait patiently, the checks are handed out to the prospective recipients. I hear my name called and I immediately begin to shake with excitement from the inside out. I accept the envelope and sign the supervisor's list. I turn to open my envelope and whisper "thank you". It was at that moment that I felt like the richest teenager in the city. I unveiled my check for just over one hundred-fifty dollars and I am ready to change the world. I plan to purchase new clothes, food for our family, and, oh yeah, I have to pay to get the oil changed in the pumpkin orange Pinto I use for work.

I plan to budget my earnings to pay for a few new things but also to make a difference in my life and the life of my family. No longer would we be looked down upon. No longer would we not participate in extra curricular activities, or rely on my mother's babysitting money to pay for our outings. No longer would I collect pop bottles to treat the family to a Friday night pizza.

My first paycheck marks a new chapter in my life. A new chapter called freedom! The freedom to make a difference in the lives of many. The freedom to make my own choices and learn from them. The freedom to live the American dream. The freedom to survive.

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