I started with nothing and still have most of it left. What makes that
old joke line so funny is that on some level it rings true for most of
us. However, I still love to hear stories about the underdog guy or gal
with no special talent or education that started with nothing and
through hard work, ingenuity, and perseverance becomes super successful
and changes their entire family’s lives forever. It seems like you
don’t hear stories like that as often as you use to. I started to think
that maybe the doom and gloom naysayers that say the American dream has
become unattainable might be right. But then I started to do some
research and found out that 80 percent of America’s millionaires are
first generation rich. In other words, they started out poor or at
least middle class and made it happen. They got after it, figured it
out, worked their tails off, put in the hours, stayed focused, and made
their dreams come true.
Years ago, I got my private pilot’s license and have always dreamed of owning my own small airplane albeit I have never been able to afford to buy one. I continually bug my wife by lamenting aloud how much I wish I could afford an airplane. It seems that life’s expenses and our low paying jobs have prevented me from realizing my dream. Then one day I read a story on the internet about a guy named Kyle MacDonald that started with “one red Paperclip” and decided he would in essence play the game bigger and better. Many youth groups play this game in which you start with ordinary, small, objects and go house to house trading for something bigger and or better. The winner is the team that has the biggest best item at the games end. Kyle decided he would start with the aforementioned paperclip and try to trade up until he would eventually trade for a house. Crazy right? Well low and behold he did it. In 15 trades he had his house. Read about it on his blog site http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/ . While day dreaming about Kyle’s experiences, my belief in the American dream and desire to own an airplane, my thoughts all melted together like cheese in a three cheese lasagna and I came up with what some may call a half-baked idea. I would do my own version of bigger-better / One Red Paperclip with my own American dream twist. I will start with nothing and I will get something for free by dumpster diving, donation, finding an item or whatever legal means I might discover. I will then trade it, barter it, improve it, wheel and deal with it and/or sell it for something bigger and better or at least more valuable. I will continue this process until I have something valuable enough that I can either trade straight across for or buy a small single engine airplane. I hope to meet a lot of interesting people along the way, both those involved in aviation and those just interested in keeping the American dream alive. I figure, what the heck, if I fail what have I lost? Nothing… Which is exactly what I started with? However, I am confident I will succeed because in the land of the free “the Sky’s the limit”.
Some of my self-imposed rules:
1) First item in a line of trading must be free.
2) It is permitted to have multiple lines of trading.
3) I am allowed to modify, fix up, and/or improve upon items as long as any money to do so comes from the game.
4) Time limit (If I don’t reach my goal by October 19th 2015 all proceeds will go to charity)
5) Be flexible and make up the rest as I go.
Years ago, I got my private pilot’s license and have always dreamed of owning my own small airplane albeit I have never been able to afford to buy one. I continually bug my wife by lamenting aloud how much I wish I could afford an airplane. It seems that life’s expenses and our low paying jobs have prevented me from realizing my dream. Then one day I read a story on the internet about a guy named Kyle MacDonald that started with “one red Paperclip” and decided he would in essence play the game bigger and better. Many youth groups play this game in which you start with ordinary, small, objects and go house to house trading for something bigger and or better. The winner is the team that has the biggest best item at the games end. Kyle decided he would start with the aforementioned paperclip and try to trade up until he would eventually trade for a house. Crazy right? Well low and behold he did it. In 15 trades he had his house. Read about it on his blog site http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/ . While day dreaming about Kyle’s experiences, my belief in the American dream and desire to own an airplane, my thoughts all melted together like cheese in a three cheese lasagna and I came up with what some may call a half-baked idea. I would do my own version of bigger-better / One Red Paperclip with my own American dream twist. I will start with nothing and I will get something for free by dumpster diving, donation, finding an item or whatever legal means I might discover. I will then trade it, barter it, improve it, wheel and deal with it and/or sell it for something bigger and better or at least more valuable. I will continue this process until I have something valuable enough that I can either trade straight across for or buy a small single engine airplane. I hope to meet a lot of interesting people along the way, both those involved in aviation and those just interested in keeping the American dream alive. I figure, what the heck, if I fail what have I lost? Nothing… Which is exactly what I started with? However, I am confident I will succeed because in the land of the free “the Sky’s the limit”.
Some of my self-imposed rules:
1) First item in a line of trading must be free.
2) It is permitted to have multiple lines of trading.
3) I am allowed to modify, fix up, and/or improve upon items as long as any money to do so comes from the game.
4) Time limit (If I don’t reach my goal by October 19th 2015 all proceeds will go to charity)
5) Be flexible and make up the rest as I go.
