Tania Luna: How a penny made me feel like a millionaire

Childhood Memories in Ukraine

The speaker recalls being five years old and feeling proud of their father's newly built outhouse in their village in Ukraine. They also mention appointing themselves as the leader of their group of friends and devising missions.

Childhood Pride and Missions

• The speaker's father builds a pearly white formica outhouse that gleams in the sun.

• Feeling proud and important, the speaker becomes the leader of their group of friends.

• They devise missions for their group, such as setting flies captured in spider webs free.

Impact of Chernobyl Accident

The speaker reflects on the impact of the Chernobyl accident four years earlier when they were one year old. They mention the rain turning black, their sister losing hair, and spending nine months in the hospital. Their family bribed a hospital worker to visit them during that time.

Effects of Chernobyl

• After the Chernobyl accident, rain turned black and caused health issues for the speaker's family.

• The speaker spent nine months in the hospital with no visitors allowed.

• Their mother bribed a hospital worker to visit them by acquiring a nurse's uniform.

Journey to America

Due to Chernobyl, the speaker's family receives asylum in the United States when they are six years old. They express excitement about coming to America and expecting it to be filled with rare and wonderful things like bananas, chocolate, and Bazooka bubble gum.

Expectations of America

• The speaker expects America to be a place filled with rare and wonderful things like bananas, chocolate, and Bazooka bubble gum.

• In Ukraine, they could only have Bazooka bubble gum once a year and had to chew one piece for an entire week.

• The speaker feels optimistic about their journey to America.

Discovering a Penny in New York

Upon arriving in New York, the speaker finds a penny on the floor of the homeless shelter where their family is staying. They mistake it for a sign of wealth and hold onto it, dreaming of buying their own piece of Bazooka bubble gum.

Finding a Penny

• The speaker finds a penny on the floor of the homeless shelter they are staying in.

• They believe that a wealthy person must have left it there, as regular people don't just lose money.

• Holding onto the penny, they dream of buying their own piece of Bazooka bubble gum.

Appreciating Little Things

The speaker reflects on how little they had when they first arrived in America. They recall finding joy in small things like a bag full of stuffed animals in the trash and receiving an unexpected delivery of pizza.

Finding Joy in Small Things

• Despite having very little, the speaker experiences moments of happiness.

• They find a bag full of stuffed animals in the trash and suddenly have more toys than ever before.

• A deliveryman mistakenly brings them pizza that they didn't order, and they enjoy it immensely.

Language Barrier Challenges

The speaker faces challenges due to language barriers when confronted by the deliveryman asking for payment for the pizza. Their mother walks long distances to work every day to save money instead of spending it on bus fare.

Language Barrier and Financial Struggles

• The deliveryman asks for payment, but neither the speaker nor their mother speak English.

• The mother walks a long distance to work every day to save money on bus fare.

• A neighbor becomes angry when she realizes that the immigrants downstairs have received her pizza.

Realizing Their Lack of Possessions

Years later, the speaker reflects on how little they had during their early years in America. They share an anecdote about mistakenly reserving a room at a homeless shelter for their 10-year anniversary in the U.S.

Understanding Their Lack of Possessions

• On their 10-year anniversary in the U.S., the speaker's family attempts to reserve a room at what they thought was a hotel but turns out to be a homeless shelter.

• This realization shocks them and highlights how little they had during their early years in America.

• The speaker's husband also experienced homelessness as a child and had his own treasured possessions.

Treasures Amidst Homelessness

The speaker shares another story about their husband's experience with homelessness as a child. Despite losing everything, he cherished his shoebox containing comic books, G.I. Joes painted like Spider-Man, and Gobots.

Husband's Treasured Possessions

• The speaker's husband lost everything and lived in motels with his father.

• He carried around a shoebox containing nine comic books, two G.I. Joes painted like Spider-Man, and five Gobots.

• These possessions served as his assembly of heroes and kept him away from negative influences.

Scarlett's Transformation

The speaker introduces Scarlett, who was once used as bait in dog fights but now lives a comfortable life with organic food and an orthopedic bed. Despite her past, she expresses gratitude when given water.

Scarlett's Transformation

• Scarlett was used as bait in dog fights but now lives a comfortable life with organic food and an orthopedic bed.

• When given water, she expresses gratitude by wagging her tail.

• The speaker often walks through the park with Scarlett, appreciating her transformation from a difficult past.