Meet Jack James Hastings. He’s my eight-year-old grandson. Like every grandson Jack is a special little boy so grandson stories are ubiquitous. But this one is really worth a read.
Two months ago Jack phoned me “Grandma,” he said. “I’m going into business and I’m wondering if you would like to invest in it. I am going into the egg business. I am going to buy 40 chickens. I cashed in the cans and bottles I’ve been collecting and with my birthday money I’ve been saving I have $105.00. I need about $100 more to buy the chickens and fix the pen.”
It’s not a direct quote but, I kid you not, that was his spiel.
“Of course I’ll invest but I need a full business plan. I want to make sure that you’ve thought of everything and that the $100 is enough and that you won’t be coming back for another loan right away.”
“Great,” he said. “I’ll phone you back later.”
He phoned back after a few minutes. He had already done a plan. He read off all the expenses, along with his projected revenues as well as two commercial customers who had already placed standing orders.
“The only other thing I will need is solar panels. The chickens will need light to lay. But I’ll get them later.”
So Tex and I knew what to give him for his 8th birthday—solar panels.
The chickens are Jack’s responsibility. 100%. Every morning before school. Every evening after supper. Jack buys their food (more bottle collection), feeds them, cleans their pen, talks to them, found out that one was a rooster and another is now a mommy. He gets tired of the daily grind but the anticipation of eggs keeps him going.
Last week I got another call.
“Grandma, guess what!”
“What?”
“I went out to feed the chickens this morning and guess what I found? The first egg!!! Pretty soon, when all the chickens are laying, I’ll start paying off the loan.”
I didn’t make that part up.
Jack is the greatest…
I see a bright future for this talented and dedicated young man!
Jack and I had a great conversation one day years ago – I was pruning kiwi and he sat on the top of the fence and bombarded me with questions. He went into great depth about whether or not ketchup belongs on scrambled eggs. (It does!) And so it seems, eggs have been on his mind for some time!
Wonderful. It’s not the person with the answers who succeeds in this life it’s the person with the questions. And if that’s true then Jack is a shoe in. Thanks for your story. I hope you are well.
loved your story about Jack…..and that first egg is very special….I have a photo of my daughter Melanie at about age 6, holding up the first egg….if I find a way so put it online I would
Eggs are still magic to me. There are never enough children stories–like eggs, that’s where the magic is.