September 23rd, 2014

Dear, Diary/Notebook/Journal thing,

This is probably not going to be an everyday thing. Knowing me, it just won't be... Until, I get into it to the point I start to dream about my day instead of my future fame or random stories I make up in my head to entertain myself when I got bored in Mr. Gomez's history class. I started to write because I got mad. Well, more so disappointed, mostly in myself. I should probably tell you about myself, because all journal-ers or book protagonists do at the beginning. So why not me?

My name is Jenny Martin (you can call me Jen though), and I'm 13 (almost 14) years old. I live in a small town in Michigan called ‘Charlevoix’. Anyway, I go to Thomas A. Edison Middle School and I'm in 8th grade. I'm not a loser, but I'm not a hyper popular supermodel kid who smokes weed in the bathroom. Just in the middle. My best friend is Mandy Aronowitz. But I got some other close friends too! (They’ll probably be mentioned later.) Anyway, you're still probably wondering why I'm disappointed.

Well, in Michigan, 14-year-olds can work a job. Which is pretty cool if you ask me. I wanted a job when I turned 14 because:

1) I owe my 10-year-old sister, Harper a ton of cash (like over 40 IOU's.)

2) I want to buy my own stuff

A job at a supermarket would make me a little over 200 bucks a week. Cool, right? Not cool. I asked my mom and she said no.

Apparently I don't have enough experience or responsibility “But I-“ That's all I could say. She was right. I want to prove her wrong. I want to prove her wrong so bad. But how?

Sincerely, Jen

The thing about entrepreneurship is that it’s never as easy as it looks. I mean, they tell us about Bill Gates at school all the time, and that ‘you could be like him too!’, but I stared at my shopping list for a very long time and found that even the initial materials for a lemonade stand was gonna run me $60 at least.

I had $10.

But, everything worked out for Bill, and as I started my walk to the grocery store, I found a pile of old lumber sat outside my neighbors’ house with a cardboard sign reading ‘FREE SCRAP WOOD - PLEASE TAKE’ in black Sharpie. I made a mental note to circle back around when I had my shopping cart.

Then, closer to the grocery store, I saw someone having a yard sale. I picked up an old folding chair and tip jar for $2, which was way less than they were at the store.

When I got to the store, I was happy to see that it was air conditioned, because September was still hot, and I walked right over to the produce aisle. They had a sale on that couldn’t be more perfect: a bulk bag of 50 lemons, limes and oranges, for $6 on clearance sale.

I almost screamed right there in the middle of the store!

I was going to be the most deluxe lemonade stand in all of town! No, not only lemonade, but limeade, orangeade, you name it, and I’d have it.

I got back home and started assembling my stall out of my new scrapwood, some of my sister’s poster paint, and nails I’d taken from Mom’s DIY cabinet in the garage.

Dear Diary,

Yes, I've decided on calling you 'Diary' for now. Anyway, I finally managed to set up my lemonade stand! I propped it up outside my house, and decorated it with some leftover pink ribbons from Harper's 10th birthday. She's probably gonna cry to Mom about it, but I'll shut her up with all the cash I'm 'bouta make!

Except I didn't.

I stood outside in the boiling heat for three hours, sweating my ass off. I had to resort to drinking my own damn lemonade to stay cool, but by the time I did, all the ice cubes in the jug had melted. It tasted disgustingly watered down; it was more like those cans of sparkling water with 'a hint of lime' Mom always drinks to stay off the beer. No one, and I mean no one, showed up. At all. Not even a single person walking their dog around the neighbourhood.

When I came back inside with my empty tip jar, Mom took one look at my bright red skin peeling from the sunburns I got, and burst out laughing. I was really upset she had made fun of me, so I ignored her for the rest of the day until she apologised and took me out for ice cream to make up for it. My day was terrible, but at least I had that.

We went to Walmart after to look at all the new arrivals in the book section. But one book with a bald guy on the cover particularly caught my eye. It read:

Money Makeover: HOW TO SAVE YOURSELF FROM DEBT...New York Times #1 Bestseller blah blah blah.

This was my chance! I had heard from guys at school that their lives were changed after reading these kinds of books. Maybe mine will change too!

I quickly grabbed it off the shelf. Luckily, Mom didn't notice it when I snuck it between her two romance novels at the check out counter. Or maybe she pretended not to notice. I dunno.

All I had to do now was read that book, and I would finally figure out how to get rich quick.


Your favourite soon-to-be millionaire,

Jen