RAM - Random Access Memories - I the Janitor

RSS Bot · October 8, 2006

Originally this was to be a piece on how I became my own apartment building's Janitor. But the more I began to think about it I think it's finally time to come clean why I am currently in debt counseling, and what some of us

do to keep body and soul together.

You see my problems began almost 15 years ago, you see I was working for Leon, he was a professional house painter and he hired me as well as my brother for his various jobs around the city as well as to take care of his dogs. You see the dog part was my idea, I really love dogs and I did not have one so I became caught within my own love. Leon really taught me a lot, the more I learned the more money I made.Enough so I decided to get a credit card, and believe me once you are hooked one is not enough. I eventually had 7 credit cards, all within a very short time all of them were maxed out. I had more going to pay my bills than I could dpend on myself. Then Leon suddenly annouced he was going to retire. With almost $30,000 + in credit card debt and growing ever larger due to interest every single month. My debt just kept on getting bigger. But at a Lawyers office where I planned to file bankruptcy, I heard the words of my late mother, "A man should be responsible, and pay his own bills". I still don't know who said it, but it just got me any way. So that is what I did through the various jobs I had. Believe me when I say I did practially everything. From gardening to pastering, walking dogs, fixing appliances to even painting and entire rear deck of a 4 story building by myself, by hand. I even managed to pay 2 cards off. Before I was caught in a mess of my own

making, maybe it was because I was tired or that I had a streak of bad Karma when the guy I worked the most for was arrested and the building he owned was taken by our government. No one would hire me for some time I was unemployed for almost a year. That was 6 years ago, when after I returned a set of keys that fell off a fire truck my life seemd to turn around, it was maybe I took my life in my own hands. What I mean exactly that I used the odd jobs to make my living and my life turned around. I put that down to good Karma. As I would help people without

asking for anything in return, and my life seemed to get better and better. A friend even gave my my first real computer, shortly afterwards, and that even brought more changes in my life for the better.

Then I went to debt counceling, but not before one of my old credit cards went to a collection agency and I was forced to make payment arrangements, as they were talking about sueing me. So after checking out a few agencies I finally went with Consumer Credit Counseling Services or www.moneymanagement.org they put me on a budget and I finally was able to make a dent in my bills. This was 5 years and roughly 5 months ago. To a point where I am now within 4 months of getting 2 of my once larger amount due cards paid in full, and should have the rest of my debt paid off by the end of 07. So why not bankruptcy?, I still say the debt counseling was the best thing that I ever done. Given the amount of time that had passed, I have learned 2 things. #1 How to manage my money, and why not with

50% of my cash outlay is being used to pay my bills, (I learned to live cheap). #2 To never get myself in to this mess again, which I got into for being generious with my friends, while having almost nothing to show for it. Even though I admit I need a lot of stuff, I am NEVER going though this again!, and #3 (Yeah, I know) Even though I need a

lot of stuff, I will buy what I can afford, and NEVER over extend myself again.

As for the job, one of my many sidelines. I arranged with my landlord who was desperate since his old one was arrested on domestic battery charges, (I wish I was making that up, it seems his girlfriend has this restraing order (and I say good for her)). My main job is to keep the building and the area around it clean for this I get $100 off my rent. You think I should be getting more? In actual fact I only live in a 13 unit building and really there isn't that much to do, a half hour a day at the most since some leaves began to fall. But other than that a half hour a week. The money saved form my rent will be used to pay on my bills to get me out of this mess even quicker.

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