We went out to dinner last night with my brother and his family. Jeff and I arrived at the restaurant first. When my brother's family got there, the middle child Keith immediately claimed the seat next to me. He looked like the cat that had swallowed the canary. The conversation went a bit like this.
"Hey Keith, how are you?" (Keith is 10 by the way)
"I'm great. I bought a new toy today."
"Ah, nice. What did you buy?
"It's an iPod Touch." He said as he pulled the treasured item out of his pocket. He was grinning and clearly excited. "It has all sorts of games and apps and can connect to the internet."
"That's awesome Keith. Wow nice toy." I looked over at my brother and sister-in-law. I said jokingly. "I want an iPod Touch too."
My brother said. "Don't look at me. He bought it."
"Wow, what's his allowance? I want to be your child too."
"He's been saving for two years now."
I'm sure my mouth had dropped open at this point. I can't come anywhere near affording an iPod Touch at this point in my life. But I guess Keith had decided he wanted one. He had been saving his money for the last two years to get one. Birthday money, gift money, allowance. All of it he had saved for years in order to buy his new toy. I complimented him again on his new purchase but this time it was with a bit of awe. And he was clearly proud, not just of the toy, but of his accomplishment.
I remember when I was a kid and trying to save up enough money for something I wanted. It seemed to take forever and I think the longest I ever had to go was only two months. Two years is an awfully long time for a kid. I'm impressed with his determination and fiscal responsibility. I've heard that the younger generation has no idea about delayed gratification. This is a shining example for me about how that isn't the case.
