My first pay check and Denny’s new patio
It is early July 1965 and I’m riding with a friend to my brother Denny’s house. He and Adie moved into their home in Denville in ’64 and have been steadily fixing it up. As we pull into his long drive way I am excited, very excited. I have in my hand my very first paycheck. I was running the refreshment stand at Island Beach. Six hours a day for seven days a week at a rate of $1.00 an hour. Don’t get me wrong, this was not exactly grueling work. But I was there everyday and took care of the business. Sure, I had made money in the past cutting lawns and doing a paper route. But this was different: I had a check in my hand made out to Art Mahony in the amount of $82.00. From a financial perspective I had arrived. As the sixth of eight you always feel you’re a little insignificant compared to the older guys but that would all be different now.
As I exit the car I see that my dad, mother, and various siblings are all at work laying down Denny’s new brick patio. This is perfect; they will all see this enormous accomplishment at the same time. They hold up work as my dad examines the check. I’m feeling good as he nods his approval. “Artie got his first pay check” he declares to my mother and the others. But glory at our house was fleeting and it’s time to get back to work. He starts to hand the check back to me but hesitates. He turns to Denny and asks him how much the bricks cost for the patio. Oh boy. Denny answers “80 bucks” and smiles. My father is thinking something over and I don’t like where this is headed. He turns back to me “sign the back of the check”. Someone finds a pen and I sign. My dad takes the check and hands it to Denny. I don’t recall any hesitation on his part. Dad turns back to me and slides 2 dollar bills out of his pocket and hands them to me. He gives me a smile and everyone goes back to work.
So, with the mission accomplished, though $80 poorer, I’m now heading back to work at the beach and thinking two things: I really feel good about myself right now and I’m really happy I don’t have to work on Denny’s patio.
I’ve told this story before and people’s reactions are evenly divided: some can’t believe my dad would take my first check and “redistribute” the money to my older brother (a curious approach from a middle of the road Republican) and others understand what it meant to me. The truth is I never cared that much about the money and my dad knew it. However, in a matter of minutes I had gotten approval and recognition from my parents for another step toward manhood and, at the same time, I helped out my brother Denny who was (and still is) my hero.
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