A kid in a corner (candy) store
I like to think I loved every kid’s dream… I got to grow up in a candy store! Granted, it wasn’t just a candy store; it was called the “Active corner store”, and it was created and ran by my two newly immigrated parents, Straight Outta Ethiopia, all in their first few months in Canada. So what, the location wasn’t ideal and the area was basically dead; this was Canada in 1996! This is where dreams come true! This beautiful and opportunity filled country is where cotton sometimes falls from the sky (which my dad was convinced of until the magic was lost and he later realized the white stuff falling from the sky is actually called snow and that it cannot be spun into clothing)! Whatever they had, my mom and dad, …show more content…
The routine was as follows: wake up, eat, throw up on my dad, get dressed by my mom while dad cleans up, mom went downstairs to open the store while me and dad headed out to stock up on inventory, we’d get back, I’d run around the store and steal some candy, mom would yell at me, dad would take me upstairs to take a nap while mom worked, we’d eat supper, I’d play with dad, then throw up my supper on him, and then it would all repeat the next day. It was long and tedious work for my parents, but I was living my best life. I loved the store, I loved my parents, I loved the free candy whenever I wanted and I loved the attention from the customers. I was the star, and the Active corner store was my stage. Not only was I living it up, but I was also using my watchfulness for good use. I remember that around that time, I was starting to truly understand what my parents were up to. Despite what I was shown on my first day at work (which I remember only through videos and stories), I was actually learning about the business model that they had created. My parents had created an Empire. My mom played the observant, responsible, hardworking and perfectionist role in the story of our family’s rise to the top, whereas my dad opted for the role as the reliable jokester, who charmed the customers into coming back. I may not have realized how impeccable that strategy was at the time, but for a 3 year old, I like to think that I learned a lot from them anyway. My mom and dad were the ultimate Beyoncé+ Jay-Z power couple while running the store: swift, smart and stylish. As the Blue-Ivy in this comparison, I watched my mogul parents hustle and win despite having only been in Canada for less than 5
I like to think I loved every kid’s dream… I got to grow up in a candy store! Granted, it wasn’t just a candy store; it was called the “Active corner store”, and it was created and ran by my two newly immigrated parents, Straight Outta Ethiopia, all in their first few months in Canada. So what, the location wasn’t ideal and the area was basically dead; this was Canada in 1996! This is where dreams come true! This beautiful and opportunity filled country is where cotton sometimes falls from the sky (which my dad was convinced of until the magic was lost and he later realized the white stuff falling from the sky is actually called snow and that it cannot be spun into clothing)! Whatever they had, my mom and dad, …show more content…
The routine was as follows: wake up, eat, throw up on my dad, get dressed by my mom while dad cleans up, mom went downstairs to open the store while me and dad headed out to stock up on inventory, we’d get back, I’d run around the store and steal some candy, mom would yell at me, dad would take me upstairs to take a nap while mom worked, we’d eat supper, I’d play with dad, then throw up my supper on him, and then it would all repeat the next day. It was long and tedious work for my parents, but I was living my best life. I loved the store, I loved my parents, I loved the free candy whenever I wanted and I loved the attention from the customers. I was the star, and the Active corner store was my stage. Not only was I living it up, but I was also using my watchfulness for good use. I remember that around that time, I was starting to truly understand what my parents were up to. Despite what I was shown on my first day at work (which I remember only through videos and stories), I was actually learning about the business model that they had created. My parents had created an Empire. My mom played the observant, responsible, hardworking and perfectionist role in the story of our family’s rise to the top, whereas my dad opted for the role as the reliable jokester, who charmed the customers into coming back. I may not have realized how impeccable that strategy was at the time, but for a 3 year old, I like to think that I learned a lot from them anyway. My mom and dad were the ultimate Beyoncé+ Jay-Z power couple while running the store: swift, smart and stylish. As the Blue-Ivy in this comparison, I watched my mogul parents hustle and win despite having only been in Canada for less than 5