Carter’s Chatter

Andrew earned his first real money at the tire shop this winter when Noel took first my car and then his truck for tires. The man and Andrew established an  instant rapport and Andrew left $13 richer for helping.  He added it to a few dollars he had acquired from birthdays and saved his money for a bit. Then two weeks ago, he had to spend it. When we asked what he wanted, he didn’t seem to know at first — or he didnt’ tell — but just before going to the store, he announced he was buying a fishing pole.

What a great choice! For just under $20, he was purchasing something he could use over and over. Incidentally, $20 is all he had, so he learned about budgeting and purchasing wisely too. The pride he felt when he paid was evident when he told the cashier, “I’m paying for this, not grandma.”

He brought the pole home and assembled it himself. Every afternoon after school, he contemplated his lures and hooks (part of the pole package) and then he went to his mom’s, without the pole. This past weekend, he returned and we went on a first fishing trip. What a great time he had. It didn’t matter that he caught nothing. He learned to find a good fishing hole, bait his hook and cast. He also learned that soft voices and patience are important to fishing and that spending some time listening to the birds and watching bugs and butterflies is okay too. 

Is he going again? Most definitely!

(Check out the pictures on the First Fishing Trip page.)