Being a parent, you kinda need some good things to balance off all the challenges (like, “For the love of Gandalf, will you get off your phone and take the garbage out!”)

To me, a lot of those good things are sharing the ‘firsts’. First words (which I missed), first bike ride, first concussion, first broken bone, first broken heart, first time driving, first rollercoaster, first concert… well, you get the idea.

So I was super excited to have another first in our family.

The-Youngest applied for a job.

The-Oldest never had the need. He concentrated, quite rightly, on his music. He earned scholarships and grants and even the odd paid gig. However, he just didn’t need any money. He’s about the least materialistic person I know. Heck, he doesn’t even want a new piano – he just fixes the old one.

Not The-Youngest, though. He wants the best of everything.

It’s born of obsessively watching YouTubers who aren’t content with a mountain bike from Canadian Tire, oh no, they need a $25,000 bike that is about as light as a sparrow’s fart and has the suspension of a Rolls Royce.

“Mom, can I get the Gold-plated Snoop Dog Diamond 2000 mountain bike?”

“Do you have $25,000 in the bank?”

“I have $5.67.”

“Have you taken out the garbage? You get paid for doing it.”

“What? I didn’t catch that, I’m on my phone.”

However, one cure for wanting the best stuff is getting a job.

When I was his age and wanted something, I had to work to get money for it. My first real job was working on construction sites, cleaning up, and doing all the horrible jobs no one else wanted to do (like wire-brushing the black soot off of burnt beams).

I hated it, but man, did I love the cash.

Now, to be fair, the rules nowadays don’t allow children to work at the age of 3, so The-Youngest had to wait until he was 15. On his birthday, he immediately looked at all the jobs he could apply for, which is to say, one.

He wanted to work at Cineplex – where some of his friends work. I mean, for him, it seemed like the perfect job. He could get free popcorn, he could watch movies for free, and he wouldn’t have to do all the cruel work assignments like we had for him.

Ok, he’d only get a small bag of popcorn for free, couldn’t watch any movies while working, and would likely be forced to work a lot harder than at home, but let’s not put water on his fiery passion to work in a theater.

Unfortunately, there were no jobs in early 2022.

Until yesterday.

He’d been watching the Cineplex site waiting for the moment they posted a job opening. Then, when they posted, he filled out the application so quickly, I think his keyboard actually started to smoke.

But here’s the extra cool thing. He had researched all the right buzz words, knew the Cineplex lingo (like ‘guests’ for clients, and ‘floor’ for cleaneruppers), and referenced all the people who worked there and said Cineplex was awesome.

I was super proud of him. Super proud. If he doesn’t get that job, I will be gobsmacked. Yes, you heard me. Gob. Smacked.

But once the money comes rolling in, he’ll be able to start saving for that Gold-plated Snoop Dog Diamond 2000 mountain bike without having to, you know, take out the trash at our place.

See, freedom is taking out the trash at someone else’s place.

As always, thanks to everyone who takes the time to read this. Please share so I can build my readership and one day sell a book for a billion dollars.