Gusto mo ba ng pizza?

A slice of pizza brought back childhood memories for me.

I was a new student in a new school in first grade. The school campus was so big for a small kid like me.

But there it was: a small pizza stand beside the school canteen. They are selling pizzas just like what you see in the photo.

Yes, it’s not a heaven’s delight pizza. But to a small kid, it’s a pizza.

I have always wanted to buy pizza but I couldn’t.

You see, when I started school, I always had packed snacks or lunch. As a child, I was only given Php 5.00, never enough for a pizza slice.

I always thought that I didn’t have enough because I can never buy pizza at school.

Later on in life, I realized that I had everything I needed.

I may not be able to buy what I want, but my packed snacks were always more than enough.

In fact:

• In grade school, I got heavy piggy banks turned over to the real banks.

• In high school, I could buy up to 10 new cassette tapes at once using the money I saved from my packed lunches. (Google cassette tapes, you turn-of-a-century Millennials and Gen Z’s).

• In college, I was able to buy school supplies because I still brought food. It was a hassle to bring big bags but heck, I have a lot more money than my classmates.

It took me decades to have an A-ha moment about my relationship with money because I always looked for things that I thought I never have.

So when we bought a pizza box from our next-door neighbor, I sat down and grabbed a bite.

And I smiled at life.

How about you? What’s your relationship with money?

By the way, be careful next time when you open your refrigerator.

You’re exceptional,

Ann Kristine
Nuclear Power Plant of Happiness