As the last child in a family of seven children, I can compare myself to the last, little bum lamb of the season. The pint-sized creature might just be the hardest to take care of. It is the last one in line for dinner, and there is not enough left to feed it as it scrounges for fodder. The tiny lamb has to fight for survival. That is how it is with me. I am the last of the clan, the one trying to get scraps, saving and scrimping. My family’s college pot has been scraped clean by five other mouths that have licked it spotless as their tummies were fed. I have often wondered to myself, “How will I ever pay for college?” Living in Wyoming has taught me that there is only one thing to do--hitch up the bootstraps, cowboy up and get to work. And that is what I did.
This past summer, I worked at a Boy Scout Camp near Cora, Wyoming. I was excited at my prospects and knew it would be a great opportunity to earn the money I need to pay for college. Boy did I work hard. Every day I was up at the break of dawn and did not retire until long after the sun had set. I upgraded my First Aid skills and worked to become a certified Boy Scout of America Lifeguard. The waterfront became my domain and kayaking my forte. I showed the Boy Scouts that it was possible to swim a mile in a glacier-fed lake, even if I was to them "just a girl." I was the only one to plunge week after week into the bitter, ice-cold water and participate in the ironman competition.
After all of my hard work and time, imagine my surprise when I opened my paycheck, and it was a measly total of $536.36 for the entire summer. My mind couldn’t grasp the reality of it. My first reaction was to give someone a good old-fashioned “Hulk smash,” but remaining calm; I did the only thing I could do: hitch up the bootstraps, cowboy up, and get to work. I signed up to take another lifeguarding class. I am now American Red Cross certified and am currently lifeguarding at the local recreation center. Hopefully, because of hard work and perseverance, my little money stash will turn into the pile of gold I need.
There are many twists and turns during the rocky journey of life but when it boils down to it, I know there is always something that I can do to make a difference in my future. I’ll hitch up my bootstraps, cowboy up, and get to work.