Way back in the mid-Eighties, life was tough for us: "My new job was a hassle and the kids had the flu," as went the song "Cat's in the Cradle." It was true... Back then, we worked and worked, and worked some more. We did what we had to, struggling hard just to get by, but there always seemed to be too much month left over at the end of the money!
We mostly ate beans and rice - beans and rice - beans and rice - almost every stinking day. They were delicious, mind you: Koky was a great cook, but since we couldn't make both ends meet, we had to make them VEGETABLE! That was no joke back then.
I remember every once in awhile, on those rare occasions when we had a few extra dollars, we'd splurge on a nice piece of meat. I'll be doggone but if we didn't have lots of family over and the nice piece of meat translated to a mere morsel for each of us. Then it was back to those darned beans again for the rest of the week!
We mostly ate beans and rice - beans and rice - beans and rice - almost every stinking day. They were delicious, mind you: Koky was a great cook, but since we couldn't make both ends meet, we had to make them VEGETABLE! That was no joke back then.
I remember every once in awhile, on those rare occasions when we had a few extra dollars, we'd splurge on a nice piece of meat. I'll be doggone but if we didn't have lots of family over and the nice piece of meat translated to a mere morsel for each of us. Then it was back to those darned beans again for the rest of the week!
Understandably, we rarely went out then. To do so meant taking all three kids along, designing the time around them, not us, and being able to afford whatever activity we chose. Ordinarily, this was fine with us, but somehow there was never a TIME ...for US.
One day, my Aunt Joan, my mother's sister, came down to New Orleans from Pittsburgh to visit the family. We lived in a suburb, and Aunt Joan wanted to spend some time with us and get to know the kids as well, so she came to stay the weekend.
Aunt Joan had a strange request when she arrived: she wanted to go to a supermarket. It sounded peculiar at first, but we knew to expect just about anything from her - at any time - so we complied with her request and took her to the local Winn-Dixie Supermarket. She began picking up a few random items off the shelf and placing them into the grocery basket. Every once in awhile, she'd ask:" Kenny, do you need _____?" I knew we did, but I also knew full well that we didn't have whatever it was because, well, we didn't have any money. As a matter of fact, I was wondering how the heck we would pay for all this stuff that was by now filling the shopping cart.
Sometimes I'd protest a little, but I really didn't want her to know just how bad things were, so I let her put yet another thing in, and hope I could find the money to pay for it before the check cleared the bank.
I didn't have too long to worry. We got to the checkout counter, and I began placing all these items onto the conveyor belt to be rung up and bagged. As the cashier rung up each item, i could feel the checkbook in my pocket becoming lighter and lighter. I wondered if it was going to just float away, taking me with it.
"PUT THAT THING AWAY!" said my aunt, sternly, with a peeved expression on her face. Her expression mellowed instantly, and she added: "This is MY treat!" Her eyes sparkled as a smile came across her face. I was very pleasantly surprised indeed! It wasn't what we WANTED - but it was what we NEEDED! I was very grateful for both the groceries AND the life lesson!
Aunt Joan had a strange request when she arrived: she wanted to go to a supermarket. It sounded peculiar at first, but we knew to expect just about anything from her - at any time - so we complied with her request and took her to the local Winn-Dixie Supermarket. She began picking up a few random items off the shelf and placing them into the grocery basket. Every once in awhile, she'd ask:" Kenny, do you need _____?" I knew we did, but I also knew full well that we didn't have whatever it was because, well, we didn't have any money. As a matter of fact, I was wondering how the heck we would pay for all this stuff that was by now filling the shopping cart.
Sometimes I'd protest a little, but I really didn't want her to know just how bad things were, so I let her put yet another thing in, and hope I could find the money to pay for it before the check cleared the bank.
I didn't have too long to worry. We got to the checkout counter, and I began placing all these items onto the conveyor belt to be rung up and bagged. As the cashier rung up each item, i could feel the checkbook in my pocket becoming lighter and lighter. I wondered if it was going to just float away, taking me with it.
"PUT THAT THING AWAY!" said my aunt, sternly, with a peeved expression on her face. Her expression mellowed instantly, and she added: "This is MY treat!" Her eyes sparkled as a smile came across her face. I was very pleasantly surprised indeed! It wasn't what we WANTED - but it was what we NEEDED! I was very grateful for both the groceries AND the life lesson!
That evening, long about dusk, we were chatting about this and that, and she stopped and she showed us a $10.°° bill. Placing the crisp note into my hand, she smiled and said:"Now that I am here, tonight is going to be a special Mommy and Daddy's night out. I want you two to go somewhere and have a nice time, and this is a little something to get you started."
We were SO happy!!! We never used a baby sitter, and relatives, even close ones, were either unable or unwilling to watch the kids for us, ever, so this was indeed a treat! We got dressed and decided to go to a restaurant called Bennigans. We ordered the "Ultimate Nacho Plate", which was very cheap then - with tax and tip it came to just under $7.°°. It was HUGE! So we split it, and had a great meal at a nice place.
THE ORIGINAL BENNIGANS SIGN
*see photo credit and info
THE ORIGINAL BENNIGANS SIGN*see photo credit and info
By the time we finished our "fine dining", it was just time for the nighttime special at the nearby Joy Panorama Theater: all tickets after 10:00pm were $1.00!! We found that by accident!
After all was said and done, we had just over a dollar left over from our original ten, and that, of course, went for gas.
We love our kids dearly and enjoyed doing things with them always, but it was nice for us to do something with each other this once, even if it was as innocent and simple as having a nacho platter and watching a movie.
This was one of those special moments you remember all your life. It wasn't the money we spent, or the nice place we went, or the food we ate, or the movie we saw - it was the evening together - just the two of us!!
This was one of those special moments you remember all your life. It wasn't the money we spent, or the nice place we went, or the food we ate, or the movie we saw - it was the evening together - just the two of us!!
Now and then we look back at those days. They were rough at first - the kind that either make you or break you. Those tough times, of course, did not last... but WE DID!
Sometimes we think back on that night, and the loving kindness of my Aunt Joan, and remark how we were able to make that gift money stretch, but yet to still have great time - the night we went on our Ten Dollar Date!
* By Infrogmation at English Wikipedia - Photo by Infrogmation of New Orleans Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by SethAllen623 using CommonsHelper., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18844552
