#83 Fishing For Funds
When I was a kid, my dad used to volunteer at the “Farm” section of the California State Fair every year. Right across from the Farm were the Beer Gardens, which had kind of a tropical vibe going on—palm trees, a big fountain, a koi pond, etc.
In any case, I would usually go with my dad since I was out of school for the summer and loved exploring the place. We would often go in the morning, hours before the fair opened to the public. I quickly discovered that the tipsy people at the Beer Garden across from the Farm were throwing vast quantities of change into the fountain. After several more days, I noticed that nobody seemed to be tasked with fishing out all the coins, which leeched toxins and caused all sorts of issues for the koi in the pond below. So, being the charitable, good Samaritan that I was at the young age of nine, I took it upon myself to help out these poor fish by cleaning out the loose change every couple of days.
I. Made. Hundreds. I would buy computer games daily and pay with huge amounts of change. I would eat carnival food, buy candy and go on rides. I would invite friends to the fair, so they too could feel what it was like to live what I called “The Champagne Lifestyle.” Ultimately, I ended up taking much of the money to the bank and starting a savings account.
Credit: sloopieone