I started working at my father’s Chinese restaurant, Eggrolls By Keng, when I was 8 years old. I was queen of the Coke machine, stood on a beer box to reach the cash register, and made ground beef for the eggrolls in an industrial meat grinder. Some may call it child labor, but I thought it was fun.
On breaks, my dad gave me quarters to play at the arcade. Later, my friends would marvel at my prowess of playing Foosball, Air Hockey and Whac-a-Mole. I knew all the business owners and had favorite mall amusements – like playing with the calculators, wandering the bookstore, eating nut samples or sniffing the cigar and tobacco room.
Occasionally, there were special events. My mom entered me in the Little Miss Cumberland Mall pageant when I was 6. The announcer said, “Natalie likes gymnastics, has a dog named Plunkie and wants to be a surgeon.” I didn’t win but I got to keep the new dress! One night, I stood on one leg for 6 hours to win a year’s supply of Bubble Yum, sponsored by the Guinness Book of World Records. I didn’t set a record, but I won the bubble gum!
Surprisingly, I also had the opportunity to learn ice skating in Georgia! I loved to skate, but hated the snobbery and ostracization. I didn't have the right clothes or skates. I was the last in my group to graduate from rental skates even though I was one of the best skaters. "Real skates" were extremely expensive. I earned my way up from Sears skates to a used pair to finally, my own pro skates. I would arrive at the mall, still wearing my skates (with guards over the blades) and show off my balancing skill and skates!
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