So from early on, I was interested in work. Earning a wage. As kids we had an allowance. Maybe a dime or a quarter. It allowed us to go down the trolley tracks to the Sweetshop in town (Allendale NJ). We could afford a few penny candies or something bigger if we saved up. Seems so little an amount compared with today, where the US mint just announced the end of the penny.
It’s worth mentioning the influence my dad and mom had on me in this regard. Firstly, my mom was a very hard worker. Her work ethic came from within but also growing up in Dublin Ireland, where it seemed there was always work needing done around their household during war time and without the modern conveniences.
My dad was in the newspaper supply business. He was in sales serving Newspapers around the country, selling “blankets” and “plates” that were essential supplies for offset and letterpress printing. But his interests were much further ranging. He was interested in many different business categories, having worked odd jobs at places as far ranging as defense contractors, home construction, adding machine companies and so forth.
As early as maybe 9 years old I had a paper route. I started with the Sunday papers, which was a specialised route apart from daily news paper delivery – usually done by older kids or even adults driving around in cars.