It's been a tough week. Tim's still looking for a job and spends hours every day on the Internet filling out applications and searching for opportunities. He had an interview the other day and on the way home his car broke down. Now the only people in our house with vehicles are our kids. On one hand, how sad is that? On the other hand, guess we're pretty lucky those two kids still live at home!
I'm going to my bank Monday to apply for a thousand dollar personal loan to try and go ahead and get my car I have been paying a hundred dollars a week on, trying to get it paid down to the drive out point of being half paid off. Guess I'll dig out my cute black dress (every woman owns one) and trot my self down there like I'm somebody and beg for a loan. It's highly unlikely (considering my crafty banking ways) they will say yes but the president of the bank comes into the restaurant all the time and knows who I am. My boss kind of softened him up for me when he was in last Sunday by explaining my circumstances and what I needed. He said to come by and talk to him. That made me feel good...Talking is definitely my forte'. The worst they can do is say no. Actually the worst they can do is laugh in my face but I think banking laws strictly prohibit it. (at least I hope they do)
I was kinda getting down in the dumps by Friday morning. I had a slow, sweltering week at the furniture store and was feeling like a fifty three year old failure, having to bum rides from my seventeen year old daughter until my sister reminded me we bought her car for her. Looks like that was a smart move on our part. She shuttles us around and loans us the vehicle whenever we need it. Unfortunately, HER car has been acting funny and we just keep our fingers crossed it's nothing major.
Last night I bummed a ride home with one of the servers at work (a college student). She drives right past my street and is a totally great girl so of course said she didn't mind one bit. Once again, feeling like a loser (it was slow at the restaurant too) I climbed in her car. It was a short ride but a big lesson.
She told me how much she admired us. She told me how amazed she was how I busted my hump at two jobs to help keep my family afloat. Let me add she is pretty straight shooting chick. She makes "ME" look like a shrinking Violet!
That made me start thinking again. I "Am" a lucky woman. Yes lately we've hit yet more bumps in the road but at least we are ON the road, albeit bumming rides. We've struggled by (with the help of so many I can't count them all) but struggled on. We may continue to struggle for a while but giving up or having a defeatist attitude won't help one stinking bit.
I have two weeks to wait tables full time, pick up as many shifts as I can, march into bank and at least try to get my loan. If they tell me no, I'll simply withdraw my twenty three dollars, close my account and go join the credit union the rest of my family belongs to. That will show them! (not really but will make a twenty three dollar point and make ME feel better)
Today helped even more. It was slow at the furniture store and once again began to doubt myself . In the last hour I sold the most expensive couch in the store and two of the most expensive recliners. I sold a queen size bed, mattress and box springs, then pushed through financing for another six hundred dollar sale. Guess I'm not a failure after all.
As Benjamin Franklin once said, "When in doubt, don't."
If I can hang on two more weeks, make some decent money slinging plates and (fingers crossed) Tim lands a job we'll be back on the top of the bottom!
I'll be selling strictly mattresses and bedroom furniture in my new store and feel more confident about those products. At least I'll be going in ready to sell. When I started managing at the furniture alone, I spent my entire first day constantly praying no one would come in and want to purchase anything because I wasn't even certain I knew how to ring up a cash sale much less run a credit card or God forbid a finance application.
Look who's all grown up now! I know a lot more about mattresses and have done pretty well at selling them thus far.
Actually, I can't believe they haven't fired the woman in our Human resources department who recommended me for the job. I made a lot of mistakes early on but learned a tremendous amount since starting in February. HUGE shout out to Vicki for having faith in me and making me have faith in myself!
My server friend last night on the ride home urged me to contact our local paper with a sampling of my writings and thought I was a perfect fit to write a column. I already have a name for it..."Column Cottons" (get it?)
Going to bed feeling much better about myself, my life and our situation.
Quoting yet another one from my buddy Ben Franklin, "Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is."
My life is what it is, what I choose to do with what I have is what it will become.
The good things in my life far out weigh the bad. Sometimes I just need a kick in the pants to remember.
Consider my pants kicked!
Til next time...COTTON (or hopefully as I will be known in the future "Call 'em Cottons"
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