Money is power, nothing can surpass its value, or so people say. When I heard this observation, thoughts floated incessantly in my mind, trying to evaluate the concept of money. Money tends to turn human beings into peons. Money is very crucial as the power it wields tends to deprave our humanity. I was deluded by desperation, creating envy and malice towards others. Spoiled and self-centered would describe my past self. Nothing mattered more than my possessions. Until a pandemic hits my family, changing my outlook on life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Self-awareness develops in the spring of youth. My youth was full of teasing since I was a pudgy kid. I was very aware of my condition, but the teasing didn't bother me. During this time frame, Power Balance bracelets have been a viral sensation. The bracelets claimed to increase strength and balance, but in reality they only caused a placebo effect. It didn't take long for the bracelets to infiltrate the school. A handyman guy wore the bracelet and waved his arms in an intriguing manner making everyone want one. I winced at his selfishness while others praised him as a hero. Their reaction disconcerted me and the anger began to gel inside me. I envied him and wanted to be praised too. From that moment on I envied everyone's possessions. To stop my rampage, a pandemic hits the United States. It all started when shareholders simultaneously recalled their shares, causing unemployment across the country. A huge amount of people were left off the streets. The factory where my father worked declared bankruptcy and this led to unemployment. Since we are a family of three, my mother didn't worry about the labor. My father's income was plentiful and would have been enough to spoil me too. My daily allowance of possessions gradually began to dwindle and it became apparent that I would never regain my privileges again. Under these conditions, my father managed to find temporary work as a gardener. My mother started making Mexican delicacies called tamales. Tamales are considered very arduous and time-consuming to prepare in Mexico. Even though cooking is like second nature to her. The hours pass as he finishes his masterpiece. I watched her gracefully manipulate the ingredients as she worked on her craft. My mother would wake up very early to prepare them and sell them to people to earn extra money. My parents hesitantly decided to cut the cord and sell one of the two cars they owned. As an only child, I watched endless hours of work just to get by for the week. I have never seen someone put so much effort into their work with a smile. I was baffled by how my mother cooked and sang the latest ranchera (Mexican music); how my father left with such determination that he could defeat dragons and returned telling corny jokes and being the only one laughing. I was angry at myself for being the sour one in the group, feeling left out of the fun. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to help my mother anyway. I started taking on simple chores to take some of the burden off my mother. My father was happy with how I helped my mother. On an exhausting day, my father would stand by my side as I scribbled mathematical equations on my desk. His chair creaked as he leaned toward me to examine my work. Some folds.