|
Well, let's see. Where do I even begin?
Okay, how about here. I met my wife in July of 2002, at a time when I was nearly suicidal from depression related to a lot of family- and dating-related woes. My drug of choice is food, and from 2000 to 2002 I just exploded. Even if I hadn't taken my own life I'm pretty sure I would have just died anyway from the health problems I was beginning to have.
By January of 2003 Jeanette had left Phoenix to live here with me, and in June we got married. Just the two of us in downtown Las Vegas at 8 in the morning, walking from the licensing bureau to the justice of the peace. One month later we were living in a larger apartment that cost about $200 a month over what we were paying in our old one bedroom place. My mother was staying with us, and we wanted her to have her own bedroom and bathroom, so that we could have privacy. In typical fashion, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer just after we moved, and from late August until October 8 she was in the hospital. With her death came the loss of about $400 a month worth of input to the rent and bills. Also, Jeanette had a couple of lousy work experiences that kept her employment somewhat spotty. Since the lease we signed was for 18 months, we were informed that we could not move AT ALL - not even to a smaller and cheaper apartment owned by the same company - without returning every penny of our move-in incentives (including a month's free rent and other move-in incentives it came to over $1,100). No prorating, no adjusting whatsoever. Three weeks after my mother died our place was broken into and we lost nearly everything of value, which arguably wasn't a lot.
Fast forward to now. Keeping up with our living expenses has been impossible. Almost nothing that we lost in the break-in has been replaced. My car payment, insurance, gas and maintenance eat up nearly $800 a month and that doesn't count about $1,000 in repairs that need to be made but that I can't afford. I tried a debt consolidation earlier this year but even though CCCS have been great, my creditors are giving me constant grief. Also, it is ironic that after losing nearly 50 pounds (putting me below 400 on my 6'3" frame, thank God) I have developed a case of plantar fasciitis that just won't quit. I went to the podiatrist this summer, after a nearly 2 month wait after seeing my primary care doctor, and he gave me the standard cortisone shots and support bandages, with a regimen of stretching and ice to help me heal. My right foot is doing fine, but the left one has gotten even worse. I can't see the podiatrist again until DECEMBER 13, and that despite the fact that I made the appointment late last month. I work a job that requires me to stand about 5 hours a day (casino dealer), and the pain becomes so bad at times that I can barely walk. PF is a hard problem to cure, but the combination of my weight and a lot of standing is not helping. Oh, and to top it all off, within no more than 18 months my casino is being torn down to make way for a new mega-resort. Of course, with my credit in the shitter I can just forget about employment with any decent-paying place here in Vegas because they are all of the opinion that anyone with bad credit MUST be a thieving piece of shit. :P
At this point, I have no choice but to declare bankruptcy, so that at least I can focus my attention on matters of importance to my wife and I. Things like dental work that I probably need and Jeanette definitely does. She has a front tooth that was broken almost in half a number of years ago, and she has never had the resources to get that fixed. As I continue to lose weight my clothing budget is going to increase dramatically. So, I took the initiative this week and brought my bicycle down to the best shop in town to get it overhauled after over three years of disuse. We also got a nice Schwinn for Jeanette for only $180, along with a helmet, lights and a lock. Tonight was the first time that we rode the 4.6 miles to her job together on our new (or newly repaired) bikes. I can tell you this... as tiring as that 9.2 mile round trip was for me, it still felt wonderful, and it brought back a lot of memories from the days when I didn't even THINK of owning a car and I biked all over town and enjoyed it.
Despite the fact that I will NEVER again have credit (and one thing I've learned is that frankly I just don't WANT it, so it's not a big loss), and I will be losing the "convenience" of a car, I'm looking ahead to these changes in our lives with a very positive attitude. Some of you here at DU have had a lot to do with that. I feel that actually being able to understand at least the majority of what lies ahead with regards to peak oil, the light at the head of the economic tunnel which is in fact an oncoming runaway locomotive, and all the other issues, has put me at an advantage over so many other people I see from day to day. Clearly there is no better time than the present for people to simplify their lives to the greatest extent possible, and to focus our energies on the things that matter most. It is a great feeling to know that I am starting down that path.
Sorry about the long post. I just needed a chance to put my thoughts in order and discuss my situation with like-minded and intelligent people. Peace out. :)
:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :hi: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
