Jimmie Allen Used Disney World to Teach His Son an Important Lesson About Money
Life has changed quite a bit for Jimmie Allen since he released his debut single, "Best Shot," and watched the song make its way to the top of the charts. In the grand scheme of things, however, it hasn't been that long since Allen struggled to make ends meet as he was paying his dues in Music City, even living in his car for a time. From that standpoint, Allen has a pragmatic perspective on his success, and is trying to never lose sight of the most important things.
"Having radio success just means I can afford to take my son to Disney World without selling a kidney," the singer shares. "Every time I achieve a little success, the first thing that crosses my mind is, 'Okay, cool, now how can this benefit my son?'"
Those benefits go beyond the simple fact that his family has more money these days. Allen goes on to say that he hopes he's providing a lesson for his child about what hard work can accomplish -- "just more of an example of, like, 'Hey, man, if you work long enough and hard enough, and are good to people, eventually you'll find other people that are willing to work hard for you," he adds.
These days, Allen can spring for Disney World, but that doesn't mean he's done teaching his son lessons about financial responsibility. "He doesn't quite understand that you can't just go to Disney World whenever. He asked me a few days ago, 'Dad, can we go back?' And I was like, 'Yeah, when?' And he was like, 'Now,'" Allen recalls.
"I said, 'How you gonna do that?' And he said, 'Get on a plane.' He said, 'Dad, planes leave the airport every day,'" he continues. "I was like, 'Okay, true, but how do we get to the park?' He said, 'I still have my magic band.'"
Allen knew it was time for a lesson: "I got into Dad Mode and had to break things down for him," he relates, chuckling. "[I had to] say, 'When daddy leaves and he's gone for two weeks, three weeks at a time, this is what he's doing.'"
Of course, Disney World is about much more than teachable moments. "Y'all know I love my Disney, man," Allen says. "We got to ride the Avatar ride, the new one -- twice. My son rode his first roller coaster. He's addicted to 'em now."
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