Tuesday, August 5, 2014

From the Minivan

 .The Matron is driving her son.   Everywhere. 

Merrick: "Mom, when do you get paid?"

Matron: "Friday."

Merrick (SHOOTS UP, LIT): "FRIDAY! You get paid on FRIDAY?!! What are we going to DO! How are you going to spend that money?! Are we getting a new van finally?"

Matron: "Well, no. We're going to pay some bills and buy groceries. As usual. Why?"

Merrick: "But that's an AWFUL lot of money. Don't you get like $XX,XXX thousand dollars? On Friday?!!! We get $XX,XXX thousand dollars on FRIDAY!"

Matron: "Actually, honey, I don't get paid my entire year's salary all at once."

Merrick: "What!?!! You're kidding me."

Matron: "No. It gets spread out all year long. I get a little bit every two weeks."

Merrick: "Why does your college do that? Does the government know about this? That doesn't seem right."

Matron: "That's the way salaries work in America, Merrick. Everybody pretty much gets their money spread out over a year. Inver Hills is absolutely like every other college and company that way."

Merrick (shocked): "That is SUCH a strange system.It seems wrong.  I mean, if it's your money, why does someone else manage it?  And I was really happy about that $XX,XXX on Friday."

And so goes the slow slide into reality.  Sorry, Merrick.


Folks -- it's not $XX,XXX thousand dollars, but it's free.  And good!    Leave a comment and I'll randomly pick someone to receive a copy of Melissa Westemeier's Kicks Like a Girl.  




Perfect book to slip into a purse and pull out in a grocery line, on the beach, at the red light (okay, maybe not that).   But I kept reading, stayed up late to finish it, and laughed out loud -- a lot.    

Just like I often do in the minivan . . .