When I was a kid parents would pay the school, and the school gave the kid a lunch card, the lunch lady would punch it when a meal was bought. I think the card was good for a month. The poor kids got the card for free.

Me, I got lunch packed by my mom... until 6th grade when my mom and dad split and I lived with my dad. Then it was my responsibility to make my own lunch. That worked for like a week, then I stopped eating lunch at school. I would take 2 bananas to school, one for snack and one for lunch, I'd get home at 3 and make a sandwich at home.

In 8th grade I got a job taking care of a pool at a condo community across town. That ended all my lunch problems. I'd just go buy lunch with real money, or eat bananas, depending on how I felt.

Having to deal with how I got lunch myself taught me a lot about the real world. Back then I thought my dad was a jerk, but now I really appreciate that I started working and having my own money at a young age.

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