WAKE UP! YOO HOO! ARE YOU THERE? CAN YOU HEAR ME?
Anyone who has ever passed out or fainted is familiar with having heard similar words like the ones above that intrude upon our awakening consciousness when people are trying to revive us. Sometimes when we’re caught within the conflicts of life, it seems as though we use a type of sleepwalking as a survival mechanism that keeps us alive while we hope for the best. However, we can’t continue functioning in this dazed state so it may become necessary for someone to shout the above words to us. Life goes on no matter what we do, and the problems we may not want to face will still be there when we “wake up”. In fact, when we repress our problems, they don't go away as we secretly hope they will. On the contrary, they remain within us and fester, only to emerge at a future time in a considerably worse and unrecognizable state than it was before.
It’s been a while since I last visited this blog site and the years have flown by in a blur and at a frenzied pace. I’m not the least bit thrilled about the position I find myself in but sometimes the only way we learn is when we’re forced to do so.
To make a long story short, I lost my job at the end of 2008 and since then, it’s been a struggle just trying to survive. Like so many people, I’ve been caught in the cycle of unemployment and have been unable to obtain another position in the conventional job market. After diligently searching unsuccessfully for work the first year after I was laid off, I decided to focus completely on my writing. In all honesty, this is where my heart lay and I have no desire to go back to the daily grind of the traditional work day. I submitted articles to online publishers for 2 1/2 years and I'm happy to say I had a 95% acceptance rate but unfortunately, the salary was insufficient. Nevertheless, I've learned some essential lessons over these last few years and one lesson in particular has made an enormous impression on me: the lesson concerning the two sides of credit.
How it all Began
In the beginning, I ignored credit. As I understood it, credit was available for use in emergencies, for the establishment of businesses or at the very least, for unexpected situations of import that required immediate attention. Thus, I lived without credit choosing not to purchase something if I didn’t have the money. Yes, this meant there were many times when I couldn’t immediately have what I wanted but with patience and good money management, I was always able to eventually have everything I wanted and needed for myself and my family. Thus, with regard to my finances, I lived with complete peace of mind throughout those early years because operating in this manner eliminated the burden of troublesome bills. However, during those years, I also listened to the many urgings from other people who swore by credit as I watched these same people purchase whatever they desired at a moment’s notice. Thus, credit enables us to obtain the things we want without waiting. When handled responsibly, this process will build a stable history which will allow us to continue obtaining the necessities and luxuries available to us. This describes the first side of credit.
The Tempting Face of Credit
There are worthwhile and beneficial reasons for obtaining credit, such as to purchase a home and that much-needed car. However, credit has exploded on the scene with such force and prominence that it has convinced people to believe it’s just as effective and easy to use as money. People love the fact that with credit, they don’t have to wait for anything: we can pay bills, buy new clothing and furniture, set up vacations, go out for a night on the town, have breakfast, lunch, dinner . . . you name it and credit pays for it. It’s an exhilarating feeling to have all of this at our fingertips, to be able to have whatever we want at the precise moment that we want it. Since no money is changing hands, jubilant smiles cross our faces while making our credit card purchases because whether we realize it or not, it actually “feels” as though everything is being obtained for free! Additionally, feeding our ego is the fact that we're also living under the guise that we’re successful and carefree, an appearance that also prompts much envy and admiration from all those who witness us going on our festive binge.
The Real Face of Credit
All of the experiences expressed above contribute to an addiction that becomes hard to break. In fact, there are many families who have lapsed helplessly into a world of revolving credit as they continue to use credit instead of cash as their principal means of support. Unrestrained spending has caused tremendous harm to a vast majority of people, me included. As long as the credit card companies are willing to extend credit, we have been more than willing to accept that credit . . . as we continue to spend ourselves into a financial quagmire.
Credit is NOT money, as we all find out when the statements and invoices for all those cheerful purchases begin to show up in our mailboxes. All is well while there’s money to make the monthly payments but as we’re finding out while being in the midst of the current economic meltdown, money can suddenly decrease or even disappear as a result of change or loss of jobs. It’s during these times that the other, very real side of credit looms starkly in front of our faces and the smiles of elation quickly disintegrate. Now, those same credit card lenders who vehemently and enthusiastically approved credit cards (which, for many consumers, were approved for excessive credit limits), are aggressively stalking us for default of payment. This describes the other, rather grim side of credit.
The Lesson Learned
Creditors have every right to pursue repayment of money owed to their companies and when those payments are not received, creditors should indeed seek to obtain the payments by whatever legal means available. Therefore, it’s up to us to develop a more reasonable approach to credit usage. I now understand that because credit has to be repaid, it should be used sparingly and only when there’s a plan to repay it within a reasonable amount of time. Since credit isn’t money, we have to be very careful about spending what we might not have at a future time. I made the mistake of remodeling my entire home because I had a great job at the time and the credit card companies were dangling money in front of me like a carrot! However, I lost that wonderful job and so far, I have been unable to increase my income sufficiently enough to resume payment of my bills. Being in my current situation is my fault and now that I’m paying dearly for it, I’m making a promise to myself. I’m going back to my old motto: if I don’t have the money, then I’ll either wait until I have the money or I won’t purchase it at all. I’m glad a system of credit exists for emergencies and other worthwhile applications but credit has its place . . . and going forward, it’s my intention to keep credit in its place!
For more pertinent and interesting reading regarding the human experience, also visit my other blog site called The Origin of Disease and read my other articles entitled A Tribute to Man and Woman: The Odd Forgotten Breed, The Day the Earth Stood Still: Anyone Familiar with This Movie? and Creation vs. Evolution.
Also, remember to take the time to visit my website entitled The World . . . or God for urgent facts regarding all of our futures!
