My Bucket Has Holes…
Here I stand. I only have a little boat and there’s water over my ankles. I’m trying to bail it out, but my only tool is a something that resembles a colander.
I’m not getting anywhere.
Forgive me for saying so…I’m getting pissed. (A note to my more “sensitive” readers. I’m a little ticked off right now, so it might be a bumpy ride from here on out).
Before the bow sinks below the waves and I succumb to Davy Jones’ Locker (which smells of gym socks, I hear) let’s look at the source of the waters that are rushing in upon me. It can be summed up in an equation.
Your Irresponsibility + Your Sense of Entitlement = My Watery Death
So, who’m I talking at? There’s so many choices these days and you could plug any number into the first part of the equation, but this time, it’s all about the Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac bail out.
$300 billion. That’s the cost of irresponsibility. Irresponsible lenders AND EQUALLY irresponsible borrowers. Let me give you just a little background here. When I went to purchase my first home, since it was my first time and my credit at the time was SLIGHTLY shaky (not being sarcastic), I had to meet with a “counselor” for four hours to “teach” me how to be a good citizen and pay my mortgage. This was REQUIRED by the bank for me to get my loan at just under 7%. And…I purchased a home that cost LESS THAN WHAT I MADE because I wanted to make sure I could AFFORD to pay my mortgage and still have a comfortable cushion if anything happened. In other words, I didn’t purchase something I knew could become a burden.
So now…You peckerheads want ME to bail you out? (There are a few “mo better” words for Congress, but I digress). You bankers offered ADJUSTABLE rate mortgages to people for homes you KNEW they couldn’t afford should the rates rise. You borrowers took ADJUSTABLE rate mortgages when you KNEW you wouldn’t be able to afford it should the rates rise. Um…when have you EVER seen an adjustable rate go down? You bankers wanted to make a bunch of money quick. You borrowers wanted to LIVE THE LIFE. Now, you’re both screwed and you’re looking to me to take care of you. In the immortal words of Kaiser Soce…”forgive me Lieutenant, but you can kiss my pucker.”
I CAN’T AFFORD IT! This, I say to you…as I do whenever something comes my way that is beyond my financial capabilities. I know there are so many economic ramifications here, many of which I don’t understand, but what I SEE is that, once again, I am being asked to bail out another group of irresponsible twits. I bail out people who don’t want to work for a living on a daily basis. I bail out mistakes by crappy politicians on a daily basis (I LOVE NEW YORK!). I bail out an education system that consistently fails to do its job on a daily basis. The list goes on and on…
I conclude with these thoughts…Shouldn’t they feel the pain more than me? Shouldn’t irresponsible actions be PUNISHED instead of being rewarded with a bail out? Isn’t this what capitalism is about? Wouldn’t better services appear on the horizon that would be more effective? Wouldn’t people LEARN from their mistakes if they felt the pain with an honest look at what they did?
<maniacal laughter>
Sorry, forgot myself there for a moment…A good nanny is always there to soothe the pain.
Semper Fidelis
It’s been nearly 4 weeks since my oldest son climbed aboard a plane in Syracuse, NY and headed off to Parris Island, South Carolina to become a Marine. I have my car window stickers ready and am planning a flag pole for the front yard…when he graduates, I’ll be telling the world My Son Is A Marine. Which brings up a point.
As I speak with people, mostly friends and acquaintances, the disparity of reactions is somewhat disconcerting. Some are supportive, some are worried, and some are downright negative. I’ve had my fair share of “why would you let him go into the Marines?” And then the always inane “aren’t you worried he’ll end up in Iraq?”
Duh…Oh! Hello, little bunny rabbit.
So, I guess this is the point where I let my feelings out and explain what we (myself and the beautiful & talented Suzanne) are going through.
1. We are so damn proud of this boy it is hard to explain. The Marines are by far the most difficult branch of the service to get into. Their standards for enlistment are high, and their recruit training is the most severe. Our son, a young man who could have been considered “lazy” did not choose a path of least resistance. He willingly chose the path he knew would change him forever. He chose the path that would alter his personality, his outlook on life, his heart, soul, and mind. When they asked him if he wanted money for college or as a signing bonus…he chose college over cash for stuff. He has even asked us to manage his money for him!
2. The day he turned 18, he became a man. His choices became his responsibility on that day and although I could “suggest” different things, it was his choice. I believe strongly that when they finish high school and are ready to get out into the world, all you can do is provide guidance when they ask for it…We all need to make our own mistakes. I can’t tell you how many times I wish I had done what I REALLY WANTED TO DO and did not cave in to the “suggestions” of others. Our son did try college, and I believe he did it out of respect for us. He just couldn’t stand the environment, and he knew that he would need discipline and strength if he was to go back and succeed in furthering his education. These are his words…not ours. BTW, he wants to either become a historian or an archaeologist.
3. Why do people think the Marines are all a bunch of dumbasses? First of all, I would say, HOW DARE YOU? These guys go through hell to just put on the uniform, and then they serve in the most intense environments around the world with a code of honor you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the world. And…by the way…a survey of the Fortune 500 companies in the 90s showed that 35% of these companies were run by…WAIT FOR IT…Marines. Note that I did not say “former.” Once a Marine, always a Marine. Maybe in these days of greedy MBA’s running companies into the ground and getting millions in return, we should look to The Corps again. Really, who would you trust more with your money? Think about it.
3a. We had one case where someone was “kind enough” to tell us that “they’ll brainwash him.” Well, let’s see…Would I rather have him learn the Marine Code of “Honor, Courage, and Commitment” or would I rather he be brainwashed by a bunch of ultra-liberal professors? Tough choice that one.
4. Of course, there is always the possibility that our son will be rotated into action and face his mortality. And we are terrified. Who wouldn’t be? Why even ask the question? All we can do is pray that God will protect him and reward him for his choices.
