After a hanging out with a friend Red bribes me into stopping @ Fry's Electronics to buy some software. He does not have his birthday money with him. He wants to use my credit card and he will pay me back when we get home. The software is $29.80...it comes to $32.46 with tax.
On the way home he says, "So...I owe you $30.00 right?"
"No you owe me $32.46."
"I'm not doing that. I'll give you $30.00 even."
"Uh...no. You will give me what you OWE me. If you had taken your money to that store...you can not tell them, "I'm not doing that.' I just want the software...not the tax. Paying the tax is not an option. How are you going to tell me after the fact, what you are doing with MY money?"
He repeats again, "Mom...I'm just going to give you $30 dollars that's nice and even."
Nice and even my ass!
"Uh...no! That's not going to work. If you like, you can do a chore for the tax money."
"No...I"m not doin that."
Oh hell NO! Now you're giving me all of my money!
"Well then I guess you will just be giving me the $32.46. If you want to make it even...you can just give me $33.00."
"Why do you have to pay tax anyway. That's not fair!"
I go into a brief explanation as to where the sales tax goes. Of course, he could not care less.
When we get home he gives me $35.00 even...I give him his change. "I'm not doin' that." If life were only that simple that we could arbitrarily decide what we ARE and ARE NOT doing. I'd have a nice long list of things that I don't want to do. Boy is he in for a good dose of reality when he gets his first paycheck and he sees all the taxes that they TAKE out.
He's 16...he has so far to go to see how the really world works. "I'm not doing that." HA!
It's Sunday...a good day to vote for the blog. Just a click below..and don't tell me, "I'm not doin that."
"No you owe me $32.46."
"I'm not doing that. I'll give you $30.00 even."
"Uh...no. You will give me what you OWE me. If you had taken your money to that store...you can not tell them, "I'm not doing that.' I just want the software...not the tax. Paying the tax is not an option. How are you going to tell me after the fact, what you are doing with MY money?"
He repeats again, "Mom...I'm just going to give you $30 dollars that's nice and even."
Nice and even my ass!
"Uh...no! That's not going to work. If you like, you can do a chore for the tax money."
"No...I"m not doin that."
Oh hell NO! Now you're giving me all of my money!
"Well then I guess you will just be giving me the $32.46. If you want to make it even...you can just give me $33.00."
"Why do you have to pay tax anyway. That's not fair!"
I go into a brief explanation as to where the sales tax goes. Of course, he could not care less.
When we get home he gives me $35.00 even...I give him his change. "I'm not doin' that." If life were only that simple that we could arbitrarily decide what we ARE and ARE NOT doing. I'd have a nice long list of things that I don't want to do. Boy is he in for a good dose of reality when he gets his first paycheck and he sees all the taxes that they TAKE out.
He's 16...he has so far to go to see how the really world works. "I'm not doing that." HA!
It's Sunday...a good day to vote for the blog. Just a click below..and don't tell me, "I'm not doin that."
