The Past Can Rise Up

It seems as if the past has begun to come back. When you think about it, what is done now can have lasting effects in your future life. I believe that part of what I am now is because of things that happened in the past. I am in such dire straights now because of a carefree attitude with money that was lived in the past. As a teacher (that is what my undergraduate degree is in) I thought that I had it made. My first year as a teacher (in 1986) the beginning salary for a teacher in my state was $18,000. I thought that I was in heaven because I was making a lot of money and I had a credit card with a limit of $2,000, an unheard of amount. I was excellent at making my minimum (often more) monthly payment. Then came the first divorce. I inherited some of the pots and pans, the new car, and all of the debt. It almost killed me financially and I had contemplated letting the car be voluntarily repossessed, but my parents (bless them) would hear nothing of it. Without asking for any money (it was a taboo discussion in the household), I was given the opportunity to keep the car with a loan (which was not that much money in retrospect). With a credit union loan, I was able to pay off credit cards and start fresh.

The only challenge was that now I had new limits on the cards, and I choose foolishly to charge things onto the credit card, furthering my pain. I bought a brand new bike (non-motorized) and spent nearly $800 on it (in 1987). If course, it went on the mastercard (and the number is still memorized although the card has long been closed) and the woes began. I know that others live that way. On the surface everything is fine, but underneath there is toil and stress. I liken that to a beautiful, graceful swan that, on the surface of the water, is gliding along oh so smoothly, but underneath that swan is paddling it's feet like mad. Nobody saw the turmoil.

Credit card debt can easily engulf you and destroy you. But, you don't have to let it. There is help available. My website soon will have more content to assist there.