My First 30 Years
By Diapernh
Chapter 1 – A look back
Well, I made it to 30 years old. Many people said I would never live to see this day, I proved them wrong.
My name is Jayson, but most just cal me “J” or “Jay” It has been a long and hard trip, mostly these last 12 years have been a fight. Many times a fight to live; sometimes a fight just to do the basic things that most take for granted.
I grew up in small town Ohio, part of the typical middle class suburbia life, 2 parents, 2 cars and a house. I was an athlete in high school, played Soccer, ran Cross Country, ran track too… All while holding down a part time job and getting my 3.5GPA. I was not your average big burly jock; I barely stood 5 feet in shoes. I was always getting thought of as my friend’s younger brother.
I loved working; I saved almost every penny I had from the time I turned 14. I mowed yards, painted houses, anything I could make money at I would do. My goal for my savings…. A CAR!!!
I wanted more than just any car, I wanted a yellow Mustang; that would mean a lot of lawn mowing and house painting. Hey, I was 14 at the time… I had no realistic idea of what it would cost. As my 16th birthday rolled around, I began to let go of that dream a little bit, I wanted to drive so bad, that I did not care what it was.
Shortly after getting my license, I “just had to have a car”; so I bought an old Honda, man that car was junk… radio was junk, interiors were junk, it smelled bad, it looked bad. I think it cost me more to keep the car running that first 6 months than what I actually paid for it; but it was all mine, no payment nothing. It got me back and forth to school and work almost all of the time.
I continued saving my money up for the next 2 years, and when I graduated high school I had amassed a good sum of money. By now I was working full-time at the local bowling alley, and part time at the grocery store. My parents thought I was working too much, sometimes for 2 weeks straight, but I wanted to work.
My parents and I agreed that I could wait till after that winter to go to college. They knew that I wanted to get a savings built up, cause I would not be able to work a whole lot when I was in college.
My planned major was Athletic Training, with physical education as a dual major. Like I said I was not stacked and looking like a linebacker, but the muscles I had were well refined and toned. Linebackers cannot run a 10k or half marathon either.
The goal was to go to a college about an hour or two away. Far enough to live on campus and get the college experience, and yet close enough to come home on breaks and even weekends. My parents and I had toured several universities and settled on one that had a good balanced program for both of my chosen majors.
I was banking close to my entire paycheck in my savings, in fact I had a money market account, several certificate of deposits as well, which my parents had urged me to get. I basically only had to pay for my car repairs, gas and insurance. If I wanted to go out with friends, I would be as frugal as possible. While my friends were out to concerts and the movies almost every weekend, I was at work, and taking in the cheap matinees or dollar theatres.
“Honey you need to slow down, take some time off” My mom would always say.
“I’ll take some time a little later, I just want to get enough saved up to not need to take out many student loans.” I would always say. To be honest I just wanted to not have to burden my parents or put myself in debt. Though I knew I had to get a good car, even if it is not my dream car, as this old beater with a heater would not make it to college and back.