Back-To-School Gift Card Fundraiser: Fill & Download for Free

I was shopping for some clothes as a teenager in the 1980s and I had a $250 gift card (equivalent to about $500 or more today) for a store that was slightly upscale and popular with their name and reputation.When I approached a sales clerk who was only a few years older than I was, perhaps 19 or 20, and who was this entitled snobby rich kid and asked her about some types of ‘stonewashed’ jeans which were the big fashion craze at the time, she clearly stated; “We do carry them but you probably can’t afford them so don’t waste our time”.I was shocked but also very hurt since I did come from a poor single parent family and I was very self conscious about my circumstances since I attended a high school that had a lot of those snobby rich kids who looked down at poor kids which was a big deal in the 1980s and probably still is today.I had received the gift card in a prize draw at some local community fundraiser and it was one of those rare times when I’d be able to shop for clothes that put me in the same fashion league as the kids who have everything that I didn’t have including a dad who paid child support and was part of their families.After speaking with an assistant manager who showed me where the items that I wanted to try on and buy, that same sales clerk called the mall security and a loss prevention officer who followed me to the dressing room after I exited wearing a pair of stonewashed jeans, and I was questioned.I was asked to change back into my own clothes and leave the store and I was escorted out.When I got home I told my mother about what had happened and I broke down in tears.A week later my uncle Bob, who was married to my auntie and who was a lawyer, escorted me to the same store and helped me buy some of the clothes with the gift card and he also treated me to a few items as well and we saw the same sales clerk.She quietly went over to my uncle not knowing that we were together since he looked at some items on a display several feet away from me and she tried to tell him about me and warn him that I might shoplift and that ‘people like me were not welcome in the store’ and told him to watch his wallet in case I might steal it from him.My uncle demanded to speak to the manager, and after a brief conversation, he got the number to the head office of the retail chain.As far as I remember being told weeks later, the manager for all the human resources for the entire chain in Canada flew out to Winnipeg where their largest store in the city was so that he could personally fire her from the company, and he offered me a sincere personal apology and a $1,000 gift card for their store.I also remember that the sales clerk was friends with some of the rich bullies who attended my school, and her younger brother was in my class and rumours spread as fast as a virus that I had been evicted from the store and that I supposedly tried to shoplift from the store, which only further caused more bullying about me being a ‘poor white trash’ kid who was beneath everyone.My uncle Bob was again called, and he stepped in and met with the sales clerk who had been fired from her job and was slapped with a lawsuit, and he sued her and her family on my behalf. We ended up receiving $20,000, which in the 1980s was still a lot of money.That money helped me attend a better school, my mom took some vocational training, and we were able to buy some nicer clothes for her and me and move to a better neighbourhood.I don’t know if there really is some moral to this story but probably it’s a good idea to NEVER assume anything about anyone and be careful what you say because it could be expensive if whoever you’re talking about files a lawsuit and sues you for slander.

My wallet right now has $0 of cash in it, a miniaturized Taekwondo testing requirement sheet that is slightly out of date, a debit card that links to my chronically broke bank account, a Which Wich rewards card, a depressingly empty Which Wich gift card, an unfortunately empty Starbucks gift card, and a girls soccer school fundraising card with assorted discounts from fast food resteraunts on it.My search history… ha, no, I’m not sharing it here. But it’s pretty tame. I don’t watch porn or anything of that sort, and I don’t search up that many weird things. But it would give away my personal infromation, like my city name and school, which I’ve long since taken off my Quora account because of dox threats I’ve received.I’d give away my wallet before my search history just because of personal safety. My wallet… I mean, if you want it, have at it. The Starbucks card is sorta sentimental to me, but it’s literally worth nothing. I think the actual wallet cost more than what is currently in it, and that’s saying something considering I have a pretty cheap wallet.

We moved a couple years ago from LowPac to Marin and would do it again. I had never lived in the 'burbs and was really worried about leaving the City I love so much. However, life with our 3 and 5 year old started to get more complicated in the city. Simple things like learning to ride a bike or going on a nature walk was always a drawn out process. Cars are running stop signs, the crackle of gun shots at night (I have it on my Dropcam), tagging all over the neighborhood by dark whisperers in the night (also on Dropcam), neverending trash being blown all over the street, the hassle of moving cars for street cleaning, our cars getting broken into, and sirens go off all night long started to make our experience more daunting and stressful with little ones.So we made the trek across the GGB and have never looked back. The commute is about 40 minutes longer, but I still use my Vespa to scoot to the ferry, then 30 relaxing minutes on the bay (coffee in the AM with sunrises over the East Bay and a beer in the PM watching the sun set over Mt Tam), and pick up a city bike for the rest of the commute. The 1 hour commute is now pleasurable.Our kids can ride their bikes or scooters to school. They can walk over to their friend's house for playdates, we can walk to almost anyplace we need to go (its a 74 "Very Walkable" score), the restaurants around us are really outstanding, year round sunshine, and nature (where no house is visible for miles) is only a 5 minute walk away. Plus, the "free" public school has a state rank 10/10 and all of the sports activities are walking distance. And there is a true sense of community. When someone has a serious sickness, neighbors organize "dinner trains", when a house burned down recently, the town came together with a lot of clothes, toys, gift cards, and an online fundraiser.While some could see downsides in the lack of diversity, I think it is up to the parents to instill the value set we want them to have as considerate and caring adults. Plus, we're only 20 minutes drive on the weekend, and we go to the city still once or twice a month. Its super easy.Anyway - hope this one person's experience helps answer the questions you may have. The 'burbs surely aren't for everyone. But it was the right choice for our family.