According to Thomas Paine
When we are easily able to acquire something, we take it for granted. It is only when we work for something that we value such possessions. I have experienced this when I had to work long hours just to buy my first car.
When I was sixteen, my Dad got a new car, so he gave his old one to me. I did not do anything to earn it, so I really did not take good care of it: I would not keep it clean or properly maintain it, I would run the car till it would break down and then have it serviced, I would blast the speakers on the radio, and the list goes on. Eventually, my car got to the point to where it barely worked. I begged my dad to buy me a new car to replace the old one I currently had. His response was, No. You abused your car that I paid for. If you want a new one, you must earn it yourself; find a job. I was flabbergasted: I had to work for something for the first time in my life!
Since I was too young, I could only get a part-time job, I started working at McDonald’s during the summer, and little did I know I would start my management career there.I worked long hours during the day, and during nights I would work sometimes until midnight. I had to give up seeing my friends, going out on the town, and relaxing by my pool just so I could make some money to buy a new car. For almost a year I worked, and finally I saved up two thousand dollars to purchase a car, and it might have not been brand new but it was still new to me.
The day I counted all two thousand dollars, my dad and I went look at different cars to find the right one for me. It took about two week, but I found a 1986 Chevy S-10 that I liked . When I got home, I stared cleaning it, I tore down the entire interior till there was nothing left inside. I cleaned that truck from top to bottom. I never felt more accomplished in my life, and I worked very hard to purchase this truck, and now it was mine. I felt as if this was something I worked for, so I had to take care of it or else all the time I spent on this would mean nothing.
Two years later, I still treated that truck my like gold. If my dad would have bought me a car or truck, I would not appreciate my truck as much as I appreciate it now. It really proves that people normally oversee the importance of certain things until they have to work for it. Now that it has been over thirteen years since then, I learned to appreciate things that I work hard for. Three years ago after working hard to support my family, I was finally able to buy myself a brand new truck, and it shows that hard work does pay off. 