We are the answer

I drift back to the early 60s to a small boy and his father on a shopping trip to Charpiot’s Hardware store in West Unity. My father, as he was checking out, realizes he had forgotten to get a new set of pliers and tells me to go get one. I go to the pliers and bring back the cheapest pair. I was being taught to shop with price in mind to make my allowance (which I earned) last longer. Upon my return to the counter my father looked to see where the pliers were made. He immediately returned them to their place and brought back a pair that was slightly more expensive, which he paid for with the other item we had.

Once outside in the car he could tell that I was confused as to why he bought the more expensive pliers. He asked me if I liked getting my allowance. I said yes. He then said that in order for him to be able to pay me an allowance he had to work and that some where in this country another boy’s father had the job of making the pliers he bought so that he could afford to pay his son an allowance. He then explained that the pliers I picked were made overseas and the ones he bought were made in the USA and were worth more because they keep our nation strong. A simple lesson as valuable today as it was back then!

Michael Frybarger