So one day she needed a gallon of milk and didn't want to pack up all of us and head to the grocery store, so she decided I was mature enough at 8yrs old to be trusted with money to walk to the Plainview Mall at Roosevelt and Ross Parkway about a half mile or so down the road to the grocery store and buy a gallon of milk.

She gave me a $20 bill and helped stuff it in my pocket, quite a bit of money at the time for a single working mom, and sent me on my way. So I just strolled my way down to the store as I had already done many times before. Went into the store back to the cold milk cooler and picked up a gallon carton of milk. Strolled over to the checkout counter got the milk rung up reached into my pocket only to come up empty. I was thunderstruck, searched all over my body, looked all around on the floor and no joy. Left without the milk, searched all along the path I took on the way home looking for the errant bill.

When I got home my Mom was just a bit distraught at the loss, we then went out and walked the same path again back to the store looking for the lost $20 all along the way. At the store there was some discussion with the Clerks but Mom wound up having to pony up for the gallon of milk she had sent me for.

Not sure when Mom ever trusted me again after that, but I was scarred for life about losing things, especially money.

Heh, heh, this story comes to mind after I have spent the past couple of days searching in vain for a set of car keys I've seemed to have lost.