Glenns' Birthday

Some years ago I was invited to a birthday party. In fact it was about sixty years ago give or take a year. Ice cream, cake, pin the tail on the donkey and bring a gift for Glenn.

Everything Mom suggested, I didn't want to take or it was too expensive. I decided to wrap up a dollar bill. Don't laugh, that was when a dollar was worth a dollar. Today a dollar is probably worth fifteen cents.

I know gas was fifteen to eighteen cents a gallon. A dollar would get you at least five gallon. But, of course our great American cars only got eight miles to the gallon. That would be about forty miles on that dollar. Today's car at twenty five miles per gallon at three eighty a gallon wouldn't get us quite as far. Remember if it wasn't for the Japanese we would still be getting eight miles per gallon and sixty five thousand miles to the first engine overhaul.

Anyway back to the birthday party and that dollar. I put the dollar in an envelope, in a small box, in a slightly bigger box, in another slightly bigger box, then again in a little bigger box and then in a really big box. I wrapped it in birthday paper with a ribbon and bow.

This was the biggest box at the party. All during the games and pinning the tail on the donkey, Glenn kept looking at that box. We ate cake and ice cream and sang songs. Glenn kept his eye on that box.

Finally, Glenn got to open presents. A pair of socks, pencils for school, a yo-yo, a toy soldier; stuff like that and all American made. The big box was last. Glenn opened, and opened and opened and laughed and opened some more and everybody laughed.

He then found the envelope that said Happy Birthday on it. He opened it and found the dollar. We all laughed. Then Glenn got serious when he said "Mom, now I have enough to get that new bible I've been saving for".

Silly little story, but Glenn Kapperman became a Presbyterian Minister.

You never know what your little gifts will help accomplish.