Thursday, March 4, 2010

Psst!!! Wanna Know How Much I'm Worth?

       Okay, I've been know to twist the meaning of a few words! Worth can have different meanings. We can talk about economic value. We can think of self worth. There are other variations as well. But I am going to tell you exactly how much I'm worth in a monetary way.

      My Mom and Dad were married in 1938. They went out to the little isolated farm to make their fortune. It was the end of the depression. The Saskatchewan Government had developed a book keeping program for farmers to help them with record keeping. My mother became the book keeper and she was meticulous. Every cent of income and expense was recorded. They had very little income and as a result few expenditures. Sunday offerings were recorded. When they went to town for mail they usually bought one chocolate bar and shared it on the long and slow way home.

     My Dad died in 2008. He had very few worldly possessions left. His sons went through these few possessions one evening and all dozen or so items were distributed. One item was  a few of Mom's old record books. As we looked through them we could piece together some interesting details of their life.

      Now I was born in October of 1939.  One of the striking items entered in Mom's record book had the following details and was dated Oct. 14 1939. Paid to Dr. Hinson for Red  $10.00 . I was born on Oct. 14 so this was the amount paid to the Doctor for being at my birth. So I tell you with all accuracy that I am worth ten dollars!