The buns and cheese did not fill me up. I still felt hungry and tired, but it was ingrained in me that I should not eat beef, so I persisted. On the fourth day, I prayed to God and asked for forgiveness. I am sorry, God, but I am in this environment, and it is not in my hand. There is no other alternative, and I don’t want to feel tired and hungry at work anymore.
Then I picked up the cheeseburger and took a big bite. It was my first time eating cow meat, but I hardly paid attention to the taste, because I was only trying to satisfy my hunger. Later on, I became accustomed to American food and regularly enjoyed cheeseburgers and Coke.
Two and a half weeks later, I received my first paycheck for thirty-four dollars, which amounted to thirty-one dollars after taxes and social security were taken out. Deciding to buy gifts, I went straight to a store and bought fifteen dollars’ worth of gifts for my brother and sisters’ children and my parents. I shipped the package by sea, including a note saying, “These gifts are from my first earnings. Please enjoy them.” Later that week, I donated five dollars of my check to a charity recommended by Ravi Sood. I also gave ten dollars to Mrs. Pruett, a kind-hearted woman who ran a guest house called “Little UN” where she bought groceries and cooked meals for Indian students living there. In some cases, the Indians either did not make payments or they procrastinated, saying they would pay later. I learned she couldn’t afford to run the guest house anymore and planned to move to Washington, DC. In a conversation, she mentioned she did not have enough money to cover the bus ride. I was more than happy to give her the remainder of my check.
To this day, I teach a similar philosophy regarding money to my sons, nieces, and nephews. They should donate a portion of their first earnings to their favorite charity. With another portion, they should buy a gift for their parents. Last of all, they should reward themselves. If any money remains from their first paycheck, they should use it to celebrate with family members.
“Just enjoy it, and God will give you more,” I tell them.
In July 1962, I began washing dishes at a new drive-in restaurant called Shoney’s Big Boy. I didn’t want to waste any time when I could be making money for school. After three days of working at McDonald’s, walking to and from my apartment in the afternoon, catching the bus to Shoney’s and working until 1:00 a.m., I was exhausted. Then I slept only a few hours before getting up at 6:00 a.m. to start the routine all over again. My feet were sore from standing and walking almost eighteen hours a day. The fourth night at Shoney’s, my feet hurt so much I decided I would feel more comfortable if I took my shoes off toward the end of my shift. While another employee and I were cleaning the floors, the manager walked by and saw me.
“Kris! What do you think you’re doing in your bare feet?!” he yelled.
“My feet hurt, so I took my shoes off.” I didn’t understand why he was so angry.
“Put your damn shoes on!” he yelled. “I don’t want you working in bare feet.”
I didn’t understand how serious he was. After indicating that my shoes hurt my feet, I simply continued cleaning the floor, thinking he would accept my plea and let it go.
“That’s it! You’re fired!” he shouted. “I do not want to see you!” I did not understand the word “fired,” but I understood not wanting to see me, so I said, “That is simple, just close your eyes and you will not see me.” I was trying to be funny, but I didn’t think the manager was being serious, nor did I think that my remark was disrespectful. The manager looked astounded. Then he yelled at me. “You are fired! You leave now!”
I looked at the other guy for clarification, and he explained, “Kris, he does not want you to work here anymore. It means that you punch out your card and leave this place.” When I finally realized what “fired” meant, I actually felt relieved, and when I got home, I slept for twelve hours straight.
Right away, I found another job, this time a position with a transportation company for a traffic surveyor. The survey involved determining the expansion of a road near my house that merged onto the bridge crossing the railroad tracks. The company hired me to work from 3:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., giving me just enough time to change out of my McDonald’s uniform and walk to the traffic site, where I relieved the other worker.
The job lasted six weeks and paid $2.50 an hour. Every day, I sat on the bridge, counted vehicles, and marked the number of cars and trucks driving by.
One morning, while working at McDonald’s, I met Melissa, a high school girl who showed an interest in me. We exchanged phone numbers, and on my lunch break, we ate cheeseburgers, French fries, and milk shakes for our first date. Wishing I could take her to a nice restaurant, I told Ravi Sood about Melissa, and he offered to help. From then on, Ravi and I picked her up in his car and brought her back to my apartment where we drank tea, ate Indian food, and listened to American music on the radio.
Ravi and Peggy enjoyed giving me advice about
