The Importance of Education

My next business to interview was an independent bookstore.  They had been in bankrupt proceedings for  about a year now, and the owners were hanging on.  Once again, it was a couple owned business, but they were older, and as this was a second career for both, I think they were ready to throw in the towel.  They had thought they could bring their nephew into the business, but he backed out.   Then a long time customer was interested in the inventory but thought the location was the problem.  This customer didn't regard the internet as a problem, but thought that the right location and the right marketing within the community would help to bring in enough customers to make it profitable.  He would even keep the old owners on during the transition, but then he started crunching numbers.  He found problems with the inventory.  It seems that most of the books in the store were not really moving.  The owners were ordering more to their taste than to the market's demand.  While the books could be returned in most cases, the inventory would be reduced to almost nothing, and the net return from the credits after expenses would produce too little operating capital.  Add the cost of a move and the numbers just didn't work.

admin :: Feb.13.2008 :: Blog :: Comments Off

Mister Anderson wrote bankruptcy information on the blackboard and underlined it.  “Now,” he said, “who can tell me what being bankrupt means?” 

We all started laughing.  Who didn’t know that?  I raised my hand and told him, “It means you don’t have any money.”  “Correct,” Mister Anderson said.  “For an example, a high school math teacher who doesn’t make a lot of money needs more bankruptcy information when his wife suddenly leaves him in the middle of the night with almost all his money.  What does he do?  Whom does he talk to?  We all broke out laughing again, but then Mister Anderson said, “Really.  Tell me.  WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?”  Slowly, one-by-one, we stopped laughing when we realized this wasn’t a joke or anything. Our teacher was about to have a nervous breakdown in front of us.  I almost wished I knew more bankruptcy information just so I could help him.  Seriously, I don’t want him freaking out and crying in front of us.  He still has to grade our tests from last week.  “Come on now,” he said, while tearing up.  “TELL ME!” He threw the piece of chalk across the room and it broke against the opposite wall.  Then the bell sounded and we all rushed right out of there. 

admin :: Jan.14.2008 :: Blog :: Comments Off

Since I have been working in a law firm, I have started thinking about going to law school after I graduate college.  I find it fascinating working here.  There is so much that you can learn just listening to the way the attorneys interact among themselves and their clients.  I think I have picked up enough information to know whether I will enjoy working as an attorney.  They are very smart people and very dedicated to their jobs.  I may even go to Texas where my Uncle and Aunt live.  They are bankruptcy attorneys and maybe I will one day become able to help them with one of those Texas bankruptcy cases.  I am seriously considering it.  My Uncle and Aunt want me to come and work for them next year, just to see what I think about living and working in Texas.  I’m sure they will do all they can to support and encourage me.  I can see how I may have developed a fondness for working in the field of law now.  It was probably in the back of my mind all the time.  I am not going to rush into this, however, because I really do enjoy painting and drawing, and will get my Fine Arts degree.

admin :: Mar.19.2008 :: Blog :: Comments Off

The thing we were most worried about was keeping the house.  We weren't sure of the laws in our state, and that is what has kept us from contacting a lawyer even to get this thing moving.  We need to know about property protection exemptions, and the only way we can find out is to do a little more homework then contact a lawyer.  Deb wanted to take some more time and think things over.  I'm for that too, but we don't  have a lot of time left to decide things.  I'd say the longest we have is three weeks.  I suggested we go up to the lake, get away from the business, and really think things through this way.  There will be no employees, no kids, dogs barking, nothing.  She liked the idea.  I did to.  And I can get a little fishing in too.  I haven't had a chance  to do that in years.  That Friday we closed and drove up to the lake.  The weather was nice, not too hot.  We got to the house and found that it had been broken into.  Not by humans but by animals.  We think it might have been a raccoon, but we weren't sure.  I started the clean up.  What ever it was — and I think it might have been a couple of squirrels — really ripped the place apart.  We were wondering if they had escaped or maybe had died in the house.  We didn't smell anything, so we are thinking the go out.

admin :: Feb.28.2008 :: Blog :: Comments Off

I am in a school that teaches CDL driving. On our first day they gave us an orientation binder. They like us to read through all the rules and regulations even though they teach it to us orally. I am making my way through it. Chapter 1 was about the parts of the truck. Chapter 2 was about keeping track of our logbook. I am now up to Chapter 7, which is all about different companies and the pros and cons and finding the right employers. It’s very exciting getting in a monstrous vehicle but also a little fearful. It’s not an easy machine to handle. It has 9 gears, which can be very confusing, especially since I have only driven automatic before. It’s a real challenge remembering to keep your foot on the clutch pretty much at all times. The main reason I am going into trucking is because these days that’s where the money is. I hope to find some company to work for that is close to home so I won’t have to be gone too often. The pay is a whole lot better going over the road but I have a family. Now looking back, it probably would’ve been a ton of fun going as newly weds together. All trucks have beds but there are some trucks out there that have kitchenettes and showers – real luxuries.

admin :: Jan.30.2008 :: Blog :: Comments Off

My parents are the subjects to bankruptcy and that means that I also have to suffer. Ha! They told me that I have to find a way to make money, because I really wanted to buy the best and warmest coat from Abercrombie. Well the only problem is that this black bomber coat is like 200 dollars! That’s crazy! Okay, well I don’t need my parents’ help I can work this entire thing out all by myself. I just have to find a way to earn money. Aha—I love math and I was just offered a tutoring job for a girl in my class. Now that I think of it, two of my friends asked me to tutor them. I am in 11^th grade and right now my entire class is doing Algebra II. If I get paid ten dollars an hour then that means that I have to tutor for a total of twenty hours to finally buy my coat. That’s not that bad…even though it really is a lot of time. It’s almost a full day straight! School right now is going easy for me so tutoring on my free time should not be a problem. It’ll be easy, just like the rest of school is. I know that my parents’ bankruptcy situation is not their fault, but I do have to make the best of my situation without placing an extra burden on them. Just like they always say, “When there is a will there is a way.”

admin :: Jan.18.2008 :: Blog :: Comments Off

Up until the middle of last year I was in a pretty dire situation with my personal finances.  I got some help from a financial counselor and was, thankfully, able to clear up my debt without having to file for chapter 13 bankruptcy.  Now, with a fresh start and a clear credit report, I’m working with the very same credit advisor who was able to help me get out of debt.  Helping people clear up their problems and having the knowledge to educate them to be able to make the right choices for their financial future is a lot more fulfilling than my last job, once you’ve been able to make a difference in someone’s life, stocking shelves at a super store seems a lot less important.  Now I actually enjoy and look forward to going to my job and not just because I’m bringing home more money but because I can hear the desperation in these people’s voices when they call in and I know that I’m going to be the one coming to help them in their time of need.  I really enjoy being able to put peoples worries to rest and working with them to get them through their difficult times.

admin :: Jan.11.2008 :: Blog :: Comments Off

I'm really glad I decided not to drop out of high school.  I was really making some poor choices at the time, and school just didn't seem like it was worth all the trouble. I've always had a tough time at school, and when I was finally old enough to drop out I almost went through with it. I now see that that would have been the worst decision I could possibly have made. If I had gone through with it, I'd probably be destitute now, living in some shack after bankruptcy had finally come around. I'd have no skills, so I'd probably be working flipping burgers or something equally demeaning.  There's nothing more important than getting a good education, that's what I tell my kids now. How could I be a role model to them now if I had never even finished high school? I'd be the biggest hypocrite ever, considering how hard I push them now. My daughter says if she has to look at one more college application, she's going to be sick. I understand her annoyance, it can be a very stressful and exhausting process but I'm sure by the time she's my age with her own kids she'll be just as glad that she went through with it as I am.

admin :: Dec.04.2007 :: Blog :: Comments Off

I'm trying to decide if I want to go to graduate school. It's so hard to make it in the world of business with just a bachelor’s degree, but I just don't know if I can afford it. I really enjoyed going to college, and it would be really great to be able to continue my education, not to mention get a leg up on the competition. It really is such a competitive world out there and I don't want to limit myself. Maybe in a few years, after bankruptcy, I'll see if it was worthwhile to take out the extra loans. I'm not serious of course, if anything getting my masters will help me land a much more lucrative position at some big corporation. Maybe I'll even be a CEO! Hopefully this isn't all just wishful thinking. I think in the long run it will all be well worth it. I am considering taking a year off, however. I've been so busy with school, it would be nice to have some time off to travel and see the world. Or maybe even just to relax, catch up with friends and party! I think in the end though, I will go to graduate school after all.

admin :: Dec.04.2007 :: Blog :: Comments Off

My cousin Jen just spoke with a bankruptcy attorney and her head is spinning.  She is unable to pay her bills due to unforeseen circumstances.  It seems that her teenage son, who does not have a driver’s license, took her new car and was involved in an accident.  Jen never had trouble with her son Jack before but he got involved with the wrong crowd and wanted to impress his new friends with his mother’s car.  Before he was able to pick up his pals, he lost control of the car and hit three parked cars and damaged city property as well.   The only good thing is that Jack or no other person was hurt in the accident. Jen is a single mom and since her son has no insurance and in under legal age she is liable for all the debts incurred from Jack’s accident.  With all the bills coming in, Jen decided that getting advice from a bankruptcy attorney would be to her advantage.  That conversation was really an education.  She never realized that bankruptcy could be so complicated.  She came home and had a long talk with Jack.  I really hope Jack learned a lesson and will straighten himself out so Jen doesn’t have to put up with any more of his shenanigans. 

admin :: Nov.27.2007 :: Blog :: Comments Off