One day I was reading a comic books, and stumbled across an ad for seeds. The ad did not want me to purchase seeds, though. Instead, they would send me fifty or so packets of seeds for absolutely no cost. My job was to sell these seeds. In return, they would allow me to choose special prizes, like a telescope, a pair of binoculars, or other, similar things.
So I sent away for them. I wanted the telescope, and was willing to sell seeds for months just to get it.
Once the seeds arrived, I ripped open the box. It was amazing. These were about fifty packets of maybe twenty kinds of seeds for flowers and vegetables. I was so fascinated I almost kept them for myself, but didn’t, because I really wanted the telescope.
I packed the seeds back into the box, and started traveling around the neighborhood, trying to get people to shell out some money for a few packets. I managed to sell about half of them (maybe), after many hours of walking and knocking on doors.
I was getting discouraged, and almost gave up. But I continued the next day. Unfortunately, the market for seeds apparently dried up overnight, and I didn’t sell a single packet that day.
My parents took pity on me, however, and purchased the remainder of my seeds. I think we had the best garden in the neighborhood that year! I remember some of the flowers that came from those seeds, and they were fantastic. Just ask some of the bees that visited them, they’ll agree.
I sent the money I earned back to the seed company, and waited for my prize. About six weeks later, the box arrived in the mail. It contained my telescope!
It actually was a cheap little metal tube with a cheap glass lens, but to a ten-year-old kid, it was the best thing in the world. I played with that telescope for years, until I finally tired of it sometime in high school, and threw it away.
Having achieved my goal, I never sold another seed.
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Unless otherwise noted, all photos and text is Copyright © Richard G Lowe, Jr.