What Matters Most

This is the dilemma: what to do; what to believe; how to understand; how to strategize; when to hold on and when to move on.

Fiscally speaking, I have always followed the rules and been reasonably frugal, like most of my friends. Spent a lifetime trusting the appraisals and lenders and real estate agents that I was making a sound investment. Bought 5 homes and sold 3 by owner, with fair and equitable results. You don't get rich that way, but you do sleep at night.

I have been downsized as part of an aging workforce and upsized, too. I have known what it is like to send out hundreds of resumes and receive no replies. I have lain awake at night imagining retirement without more time to save for it. And felt the gratefulness and relief of reporting for work.

There are too many that have to look at a pile of bills today and know not all of them can be paid. Who will endure those kinds of calls from creditors. Who will sit at the bank, hat in hand, never having made a late payment until now, and getting turned down for a little help with the payments just until they get back on their feet. As if the banks have forgotten what went before. As if playing by the rules didn't matter.

As I write this, there are people who are selling what they can and packing up the rest, and waiting for the knock on the door and a 3-day vacate notice. And when it comes, in silence they will leave the keys on the counter and close up their home with nowhere to go.

We have to take care of this. Of each other. Of those who caused this to happen. Because if we do not, nothing else will matter.