On the southwest of town, there was a young boy named Tee who had a great desire to go to Camp Cosby. He wanted to learn camping, horseback riding, archery, and motor biking. However, the problem was that he needed $75, including $50 for spending money, which was a lot of money for a 10-year-old in the 80s.
Despite his fear, Tee decided to gather the courage to ask his mother for the money. When he asked his mother, she hesitated at first but finally said okay. Tee felt relieved until his mother took him outside to the middle of the street and pointed to a house at the end of the street. She said, “Look, Tee, look at all that money!”
Confused, Tee asked his mother what she meant, but she continued, “If you cut all the grass at the homes on both sides of the street, you would have triple what you ask for.”
Tee’s heart sank. He had hoped for a simpler solution, but his mother’s response taught him a valuable lesson about hard work and determination. With a heavy heart, Tee turned to leave, but he didn’t forget his desire to go to camp Cosby.
Years later, Tee discovered that his mother’s lesson had stuck with him. He applied it to his art life and business and became successful through his hard work and determination. He never forgot the lesson his mother taught him and carried it with him throughout his life.
When Tee finally went to camp Cosby, he had one of the best times of his life. One particular moment stands out in his memory, when he would wake up before sunrise and head to the horses. He would talk to them and feed them oats before hopping on one and riding a mile or so to the motorbike course. Tee loved to beat the other boys and get a bunch of laps in before everyone else.
During the tour of the camp, they showed Tee and the other campers the outside shed, which was an old ragged wooden port-a-potty with flies flying all around it. Tee refused to use it and held his number twos for a whole week. When he finally got home, his mother ran to hug him, but he ran straight past her to the bathroom.
Tee learned that hard work, determination, and perseverance pay off in the end. He also learned that some lessons, even the ones we don’t appreciate at first, can turn out to be the most valuable ones of all. Trust mom!
