Glasgow Daily Times, Glasgow, KY

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July 3, 2008

Writer revisits son’s allowance issue

LOWE LINES

By JIMMY LOWE

GLASGOW — The columnist is away from his computer today. Here is one of his columns that was originally printed in this newspaper about a quarter of a century ago. . .

My 10-year-old-son looked up from a catalog he had been studying and remarked, “Dad, I need a raise in my allowance.”

I was busy with paperwork, paying the end-of-the-month’s bills. As I continued to balance the bank book, I made no response and hoped he would let the matter drop.

“Don’t you think it’s time I got a raise in my allowance?” (So much for hoping.)

I mumbled a comment that neither of us understood, hoping that would end the discussion before it got discussed.

“What?” (So much for mumbling.)

I put my pencil down by the calculator and turned from the check business. “So what’s this about a raise in allowance?”

“I need a raise!” he said again. Then he gave the old standard “all my friends get more allowance money than I do” routine.

“Well, if you were to get an increase in your allowance, you would be expected to increase your duties. Think you could do that?”

He assured me, “I’ll do anything. I’ll clean up the house, take out the garbage, sister sit, wash the car, wash my own clothes, rake the leaves —” He was getting excited.

“Slow down,” I cautioned him. “Let’s be realistic. There are no leaves to rake at this time of the year. Anyway, we don’t have that many trees, so it won’t be a big deal.”

“Then I’ll plant more trees! I’ll do anything. I just need more allowance money,” he pleaded.

I asked him what he had found in the catalog. He showed me the picture and description of an electronic gadget.

“That looks like something you already have,” I observed.

“But this one is just like the one all the other guys have.”

“Then it’s only a status symbol,” I surmised.

He was confused by that assessment. “I don’t know what that means,” he said, “but I want it because it’s the kind that my friends have.”

We talked a while about why we want things — especially the new things like the old things we already have. I gave him a sermonette about seeking more than status symbols in life.

I don’t know if he understood me or not. When I went back to my paperwork, he was again turning through the catalog’s pages. He may have been looking for tools to transplant trees. I was afraid to look.

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