Leona has been figuring out  creative ways to earn money since she was five.  By then she had learned to cut with scissors really well.   One day she came up with the idea to draw things and cut them out for “paper dolls.”  She also made a boat from a paper plate with a pencil in it to hold a sail and glued two of her “people” on it.  The next day she made several more  things including Dracula, a bat, more people and a black cat.   At 8:30 a.m she and Gib and her friend Laura (5) were out on the sidewalk with the “paper dolls” all laid out and they were yelling, “Paper dolls for sale–anyone want to buy paper dolls for only one quarter?”  There were several workmen across the street doing a remodel and they were watching the kids.  I got embarrassed thinking they might come over and see what was for sale.  I called Leona in and told her the dolls would make nice presents but she shouldn’t sell them to strangers  because they wouldn’t appreciate them.  Also twenty-five cents was too much to ask.  I said she could ask for one cent.  She replied, “How about three nickels?”  She didn’t sell any but was kept busy all morning.

Later, she  loved to have lemonade stands and yard sales.  She also did chores for me to earn money.  My favorite enterprise was when, at around age 11,  she  supervised the neighborhood kids in making  carnival in our back yard and  then charged  them  to participate.  It wasn’t just her parents that she could always manipulate but everyone else too.  This ability has served he very well in negotiating.

Now she’s grown up to be self-employed.  As mentioned earlier, she designs websites, teaches blogging, does public relations and is at the forefront of anything to do with social media.  I really don’t speak her language but she patiently tries to interpret it for me.  She has her Masters Degree in Communication.    I am so proud of her.  In reading my notes  from when she was five, I wrote,  “One day last week, Leona stayed  home from school sick.  She was lying on the couch and I was in my room.  She called to me, sobbing, ‘When I finish Kindergarten, I’m dropping out of school.  I just can’t go through all those grades.’”  I am so glad she stuck it out.  It is daunting for anyone to look forward to twelve years of school plus college.