Telephone calls, no answer... what IS up with that?

All right, so a lot of us are having some financial hurdles to face, and we're all doing the best we can with a situation that is difficult for the best of us. And I present to you, why do companies such as Capital One, Wachovia, HFC Beneficial, and Out Of Area (whoever that might be), not answer when you pick up the telephone? Or, even better, you've just spoken to someone at that company and they call the same day you've made whatever arrangements you've made with XYZ representative:

And they say, "These calls will persist until your account is up to date."

And you respond, "That’s cool, I understand, we have been unemployed since XYZ, and we do not get unemployment, so we can only pay this amount $0.00."

And they say, "That’s not enough, you must pay $0.00, give me your routing number and account number and we'll do a check by phone."

And you say, "I am sorry, I am unable to do that at this time. I have X amount of opportunities that I am following up on, and I hope to have employment soon. But until I do, I can only pay your company $5.00 this month."

And they say, "We must take a check by phone today or this will affect your credit rating and you will be unable to open any other credit cards, buy real estate, or purchase a new car."

Now, they've not taken into account that the person they are speaking with is so far in the financial hole that a bad credit rating is the least of their concerns. The person they are speaking with pays $1200 in child support a month, $1650 a month in mortgage payments, $800 in car payments, approximately $400 in utilities... not to mention the $30,000 in medical bills they're in the hole for because their insurance didn't cover a surgery on their leg a year and a half ago. Credit rating? What credit rating? This person is worried they'll no longer have a vehicle to find employment with. Forget the credit rating!

And the conversation continues, and because this is the seventh month of brow beating, exhaustive research, prayer, church help with electric bills, gas gift cards from everyone, food gift cards, and finally food stamps kick in and AllKids takes affect... the pressure is immense. So the explanation, since it has been given so often, is actually quite draining, is left to:

"I'm sorry I cannot do more at this time. I really wish that I could. Is your company hiring? (Usually followed by the customer service rep laughing through the word no) I will pay you more as soon as I have more. I promise you, I will. I know my promise really means nothing because you don't know me, but that is the best I can do."

And a check by phone is asked for once more. And the consumer, the one who was a different person six... eight... ten months ago quietly hangs up the phone. Because nothing is going to come of this, it is a demented merry-go-round that neither party will be able to end, until that routing number and account number is shared. And it's tempting to share it, is it not? Because what are they going to get? Nothing. Because the amount they're demanding is nonexistent in this person's account.

And the cycle continues...

... Now what?

It's been a ride, hasn't it? This recession. This election. This millennium. It's been a ride. And y'all wanted change, right? Change was necessary to make our country great once more, right? Get your heads out of the clouds. You've changed things, no doubt. Want socialism? Move to Canada. Want communism? Move to Russia... Cuba... North Korea... China (they'll claim they're not :) ) If you want freedom the first thing everyone must realize is you'll have to work hard. Factory hard. Building a car hard. Delivering a newspaper with own two hands on your own two feet hard. Postal worker hard. We, as a society, do not know what "hard" work is anymore. We used to. Remember Rosie the Riveter? That was what were we, what we have come from, and what we must aspire to. Because that was ethical, moral, and honest hard work. Hard equated to feeling damned good about yourself at the end of the day... earning your keep... earning your way... and making a difference.

Now, before anyone posts angry posts, remember this: This is an opinion. Opinions are what we are all guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States of America. As you have a right to post what you wish, so do I, and we must sometimes agree to disagree. And that is all right, because the more people post, the more we will communicate our opinions, perhaps even learn something from one another. Let's keep this civil. Let's show etiquette, and common courteous for one another at all times. If it becomes too heated, and what I mean by that is all lack of control is evident, then we must move on. No and, ifs, or buts. Leave it and move on. That is a point of no return. Please do not post here if you cannot abide by those simple rules.

Onto my groove..... :) When our eldest little man was born I sat and sobbed for quite some time with my mom. I did not know that she would be dead within a few short months. All I knew is that she had lost a child to SIDS, and I could not fathom how she survived that. How do you survive the death of your baby? The baby you grew to know and love even before you met them and named them? She said you breath through the pain. The pain and sadness never go away, you learn to live with it. The immensity of having a child in "this day and age" hit me full force. I asked my mom, "what in the hell am I thinking bringing a child into this ugly world? Why did I do this to him?" She smiled that sweet mom smile, and shook her head, "you were born when Chicago was rioting, right after Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were murdered. You were born when we landed on the moon, and when the Vietnam War was still under way. Children are born so that we can, hopefully, make someone that will one day make a difference. So that, years down the road, they can tell their children about their grandma."

We didn't know that during that time that I sat with mom she put me through mommy boot camp. Everyday was something new, and most often many something news. We didn't know that, in a way, we were preparing for my mom's departure. Now, mom was only 56 years old. She'd lived a very hard life, and had so much wisdom, it was as if she were 90 instead of just 56. I, now that it has nearly been 9 years (11/16/00) that she's been gone, can see how so very lucky I was to have had such a wondrous, kind, loving, tough, feisty mother in my life. No one could push my buttons like my mom! Oh my, but she could make me angry! And I know I do that with my boys, because I see the same roll of the eyes :) But you know, I hope, though I hope they do not mourn as long as I did, I hope that they remember me with as much wonder as I have come to remember my mom.

And now, I am trying my darnedest to come out from under my mom's shadow. She didn't place it there, I did. I have to work through this and find my way, hence my blog of finding my groove in the middle of all this. I want to get back into school in the fall, nothing fancy - Harper College for a certificate in computers. Find a job relatively close to home, that would be cool :) But first, I have to shake this constant "I'm not good enough to be here" feeling off. I judge myself harshly, and I need to love myself just a bit more. Once I'm there.... :) Lord Almighty, I will be unstoppable!

And that's for Saturday, May 30, 2009.... have a great weekend!