What little thing as a kid had a huge effect on your later life?

[MRG]

We lived in a rural area, without a lot of kids my age.

I learned to read a little early and could entertain myself pretty well.

When I was 8, I was diagnosed with rheumatic fever. Bed rest was ordered. The same year the state improved our road, and the only TV reception was gone! DM would go to the library twice weekly and get me 6 new books to read. I became a pretty fast reader.

I never stopped reading, what I wanted to. I was bored to death in school, I'd review the text books at the beginning of the year and I was done. Never studied, did homework, or any assignments. In class I read books, that I wanted to. Nothing related to class. Often books that were way beyond my age or maturity.

I'd just take tests, get B's and be done.

In some ways I regret I didn't have anyone outside of DM to challenge me to work hard. I had to learn that by myself later in life. I guess it worked out ok.

 

[Bir48die]

My dad telling me I'd never be a great athlete, that I was mediocre. When I had kids it made me want to be a better dad in most ever facet. I can't really tell if I was but I certainly learned not to make any statements that would tear my kids down. Before he died he did tell me I was a much better dad than him. Not much consolation.

 

[TrophyWife]

5 things (loving this thread)

1. Don't assume anything. It makes an ass out of u and me
2. I wished forever for a perfume pin from Avon and when I got it I cherished it but it never made me as happy as I thought it would-things usually don't
3. From my friends mom: Relationships above everything.
4. From my husband:Always say yes first, you can cancel plans later
5.From my sister in law. Talk to people you encounter during your day, at Trader Joes, the library. I'd always grown up keeping my distance and scared I guess
6. Pay attention. People will tell you who they are by how they act.

 

[Marita40]

Being a bookworm, loving school, and Girl Scouts were all huge influences (although I still can't make a decent fire in the fireplace). Also, being bullied at a vulnerable stage by mean girls: I grew up much more comfortable with myself and an independent thinker because of it. I did not suffer from peer pressure the way so many kids do.

 

[Nemo2]

Nothing profoundly life changing, as is/was the case with many posters, (very interesting stories BTW), but I'm sure that repeatedly reading Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island and The Adventures of Robin Hood, as a child must've had some impact on me....but I'm not sure what.

 

[pb4uski]

I was a late bloomer I guess. Two very formative things.

As soon as I got my driver's license I started working in the family business of two self service car washes... one near home and the other in the next town over. My job was to check in on the one near home on my way to school, then on the one the next town over after school and the one near home on my way home. I was responsible for all repairs and maintenance and anything that I couldn't handle dad would get involved. I collected the money, did all repairs and maintenance (try working with water at -30F in a bad Vermont winter), painting, bookkeeping, etc. I learned a lot that has served me well as an adult, especially about trying to do things that I haven't done before and where something is beyond my abilities and expert help is needed.

However, the bigger epiffany was a summer job between my freshman and sophmore years of college... prior to that I had been a mediocre student... doing just enough to slide by and stay out of trouble with my parents... but after a long, hot summer of doing tire changes and oil changes next to guys only a couple of years older than me who didn't have the means to go to college I decided that theirs was not the life I wanted and I stepped it up in my studies and was Dean's List or close for each semester after that. Unfortunately, because of my mediocre freshman year, I missed out on graduating with honors by 0.0075... I needed a 3.000 and my cumulative average was 2.9925.

 

[DAYDREAMER]

7th grade math was the turning point in my life when we learned about Interest and compounding. I'll never forget when I went home and asked mom if we had a mortgage. When calculated a way to payoff their $18k mortgage, mom laughed and said, "you'll see when you get older, you'll always have a mortgage". That stuck with me, because I could see the solution to the equation. Paid off mortgage to our first house in 6 years, all while compounding growth on maxed out 401k contributions. Retired at 52.

 

[pacergal]

From my folks:
--every $ earned was split three ways: pay yourself first, give to charity, then live on the rest/help family when you can. Started with my first allowance of $0.10 per week, earned by doing chores around the house.
-- I remember going to the public library to get my own library card, that was a big step back then! I was responsible for the books I checked out, had to get them back in time or pay the fine out of my own money.

 

[dirt_dobber]

Dad walked out on us when I was 9 (he later killed my brother when he was 18). Saw my mom (who had me when she was 15) and was 24 then with no HS diploma - go to work as a receptionist at local Dr.. He wasn't going to hire her until she promised to work for free for one week and if he didn't want her then she would leave. She ended up working there 35 years.
---I learned hard work ethic from her and both of my farming/ranching grandfathers.

I dropped out of HS and joined the Navy on my 17th birthday. I went from DFW area to Great Lakes Naval and the very first night I smarted off to the Drill Instructor and he promptly put me on "snow watch" and for this boy who had never left Texas who had never seen more than an inch of snow - well that cold snowy night in Feb of 1976 I learned to not be a smarta$$ which served me well the rest of my life. I got out of the Navy after 1 year on a "breach of contract" and was discharged honorably.

I started working when I was 15 and have worked continually until 2 years ago (now I'm 59). Got married at age 20 and have been married for 38 years now. She gave me 3 great kids and they all were the first kids in my 6 generation Tx family to even attend college and they all graduated with honors and they all have great careers making 6 fig money.
I feel so blessed.

 

[ponyboy]

I was born in a log cabin that I built with my bare hands. I heard later on that Chuck Norris did the same thing.

I heard chuck norris rubs two fires together to create sticks.

 

[CardsFan]

However, the bigger epiffany was a summer job between my freshman and sophmore years of college... prior to that I had been a mediocre student... doing just enough to slide by and stay out of trouble with my parents... but after a long, hot summer of doing tire changes and oil changes next to guys only a couple of years older than me who didn't have the means to go to college I decided that theirs was not the life I wanted and I stepped it up in my studies and was Dean's List or close for each semester after that. Unfortunately, because of my mediocre freshman year, I missed out on graduating with honors by 0.0075... I needed a 3.000 and my cumulative average was 2.9925.

Reminds me of something that happened to me in a High School science class. Science was one of my best subjects in HS, Usually got an A, but after 1 quarter with an A, during my Sophomore year, I slacked off and got a D. I went to the teacher, pleaded my case that I was only a small fraction of a point below a C, and he knew I could do better. He looked at me and said "Of course I know you can do better, that's why you got the D. If you were a D or C student, I would have rounded to the C." Then he said, "Don't let this get you down. Just take it as a wake up call. If you pull A's the rest of the year, we'll see what we can do with the year end grade". I listened, got my A's, and ended with an A for the year. Still remember his name, Aram Sevagian. Taught me a good lesson, and I spent a fair amount of my free time the next two years helping in his science lab.

I hadn't thought about that for a while. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[samclem]

I can't say for sure how much these very early events influence one's life, but I know for sure that they stick in my conscious memory better than later things. I remember all the names of my teachers from elementary school, and a lot of the names of the kids in my classes. I recall far fewer from Jr High and HS.

 

[athena53]

I'm glad to read that paper routes were such good lessons for so many (and it's true of my brother as well). I had a paper carrier in NJ whose mother drove her around for both deliveries and collecting and who couldn't make change or accept a check. It was really Mom's paper route.

My lesson: I can think of many, but what stands out was the year a couple of teachers in my HS (married couple) put together a trip to Europe; they were renting a camper, which kept the cost down but it was still well beyond what I could muster up form babysitting earnings. I was one of 5 kids and my parents provided well for us but they were saving to put us through college (which they did, eventually) and funding one kid's trip to Europe wasn't in the budget. I REALLY wanted to go and I couldn't.

So- I got an education in a marketable field. Three years after college graduation I made my first trip to Europe. I remember I decided to go when I'd saved twice what it would cost, so I'd still have savings when I came home. I've since lost track of the number of times I've crossed the Atlantic but I've been to over 30 countries (35 if you use the Travelers Century Club definitions).

What I learned is that sometimes you gotta get things for yourself, and that it's not a bad thing to leave kids wanting something as long as you take care of their basic needs and maybe a few frills.

 

[TrophyWife]

What I learned is that sometimes you gotta get things for yourself, and that it's not a bad thing to leave kids wanting something as long as you take care of their basic needs and maybe a few frills.

This is why we didn't pay for college but did help them out a little bit. Although very different, both our kids figured out a way to graduated debt free. And they were very proud of that.

 

[Badger]

Visiting the National Zoo as 4-5 years old child and seeing elephants and giraffes for the first time probably had more influence on my life than anything else. Although the dream to become a exotic animal veterinarian wasn't to be I channeled my energy in academia to teach medical career students in Human A&P.

Now that I'm retired I have taken the opportunity to volunteer some of my time at our local zoo.

Cheers!

 

[athena53]

This is why we didn't pay for college but did help them out a little bit. Although very different, both our kids figured out a way to graduated debt free. And they were very proud of that.

While you definitely value an education that you had to pay for yourself, it's also possible to raise kids who appreciate one that someone else paid for. I accomplished that with my son, too! All five of us got degrees in good fields; sister went on to become an MD, brother got an MBA, of the other three, one is a PE (Professional Engineer), one is a CPA and I'm a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society.

 

[Music Lover]

I heard chuck norris rubs two fires together to create sticks.

Chick Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.

 

[Out of Steam]

Thank God for Catholic grade school, high school, and support from hard working parents.

My Catholic school experience was the opposite. My life changed drastically for the better when I talked my parents into letting me go to public school. The Catholic school tried to educate many more children than they had resources for at the peak of the baby boom, and this nerdy kid with good grades, but organization issues, did badly.

 

[NW-Bound]

Visiting the National Zoo as 4-5 years old child and seeing elephants and giraffes for the first time probably had more influence on my life than anything else. Although the dream to become a exotic animal veterinarian wasn't to be I channeled my energy in academia to teach medical career students in Human A&P.

Now that I'm retired I have taken the opportunity to volunteer some of my time at our local zoo.

Cheers!

Reminded me that at about the same age, I wanted an elephant as a pet.

There was a circus in town or something, and my dad took me there to see "my" elephant. It scared me real good, with its enormous size and stinky pile of poof.

No, no more elephant for me.

I, too, became an Eagle Scout. The best quote from that experience " You only get out of life, what you put in to it". Thank God for Catholic grade school, high school, and support from hard working parents.

We are not Catholic, but my parents sent me to a Catholic grade school as they supposedly gave good education. That might be true, but did not keep me and a friend from setting off huge firecrackers in the restroom. We used an incense stick for a delay fuse, and stuck it up a vent at recess.

It went off several minutes later when we were back in class. We went pale thinking of what would happen if we got caught, but of course nobody knew. That was the first and last time we did that.

 

[stephenson]

Heinlein messed with my head very early.

Night auditor at a small Holiday Inn at age 17 - saw all the criminal and near criminal behavior early. Learned not to trust someone based on what they looked like or what kind of car they drove.

Relearned everything my Dad taught me from Gunnery Sergeant Giles.

Learned to wind the clock when I lost an engine (to keep from doing anything stupid quickly).

Learned always put the landing gear down before landing.

 

[aja8888]

Chick Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.

And counted from there backwards to zero! Twice.

 

[brett]

The year I got my paper route my grandfather pulled me aside on Chistmas day and made me a offer.

He would give me 25 cents for every dollar that I saved. He did this by checking my bank balance every Christmas. He was as good as his word...and might even have regretted it a little! Strong Scottish Presbyterian education, work,and save ethic. This encouraged me to work and save harder in my side jobs of lawn mowing and snow shoveling.

 

[Onward]

As a teenager, reading this book

and listening to this album

 

[USA]

At the age of 9 my family moved to Colorado. My Dad and I hiked up Lone Mountain and a Table Mesa. Small stuff. At age 13 I attempted my 1st 14k mountain. Didn’t make it past the boulder field. It was a peak with a limited window when you could ascent due to weather. I attempted again at age 14. I only made it to the keyhole. Dad made it to the summit. I couldn’t and I held up. On my 3rd attempt at 15, I made the summit. The exhaustion I felt on the descent and the learning to go on served me well in my life. Especially while I was in the Army. Daddy didn’t raise up a quitter. When things went to HE double L in life, as sh*tty as it could be, I was able to dust it off, wrap the blisters, and keep going. And yes, we also climbed other 14k’s. The one I write about that took 3 years was Longs Peak. It’s the highest one on the front range as you look north from Denver.

 

[DektolMan]

Today would have been my dads 94th birthday and several things he said and did really had an i pact on my life.

1. His work effort. When he wasn't at work he was at home working in the gararge, around the house or at a neighbors helping them.

2. Scouting. My dad was our leader and was tough on me and made sure I carried my weight when on our camping trips.

3. When I was a HS senior I went to my dad for advice on choosing career. He told me he didn't care what the hell I did and after some silence he gave me the best advice every. He told me to find a job that when I work up in the morning I wanted to go to work and then work as hard as I could as eventually I'd become good at that. Then he said about the money thing, work hard, have fun and the money thing will work out ok.

This was from a man who's father died when he was in the 8th grade so he quit school to support his mother. He then when on the hit the beaches on D Day. He will always be my hero.