Economics 101

Jonathan has an entrepreneurial spirit and in an effort to make some money he decided to start collecting cans. He would rummage through the garbage at church and home. I even caught him dumpster diving after a football game. He recruited Grandma and Grandpa to set aside their cans for him too. On his first visit to the Recycle Center he earned $.60 per pound and came away with a few bucks. The reward for his efforts further motivated him and he became more determined and bold in his pursuit of aluminum.

He had high hopes on his second visit to the dump-I mean Recycle Center- since this time he had more than tripled his booty. When he went to cash out after they weighed his cans, he was hit with the reality of our unstable economy. They gave him only $.20 per pound. My heart dropped as I watched him come out of the cashier's station with shoulders drooping, fighting off tears. All his hard work had not paid off in the way he expected. When he questioned the man, he explained that they base their prices on the current stock market values and they change daily. This explanation didn't make sense or cents to a 10 year old boy.

He's still collecting but this time with a watchful eye on the market...