Let’s be real – no one wakes up one morning and thinks “hmmm, now there’s something I haven’t tried – I wonder what it’s like to go through the Season of BROKE.” From experience I can tell you it’s not a season you can plan for. You never know when it will occur; it’s almost like a hurricane or tornado. You don’t know who will be affected and how it will affect you. More importantly, you don’t know how or if you will overcome it.
Now you *NUITA types need to bring it down a notch. While you think you have it together, your nose can drop to the ground faster than you can say your name, without warning.
Getting back to my BROKE friends – if you have been through this season, and keep remembering it is JUST a season, maybe the worse thing you can experience is the reaction from your friends and relatives, or lack thereof during this time. You can NEVER plan on how others will respond or treat you or what they will say or not say. Sometimes they simply disappear. You may find that some relatives or friends, if they decided to stick around, put their own limit on how long THEY think you need to heal. So they offer up words of advice, remain silent, forget what happened or just play stupid! And that brings me to RELATIVES SAY THE DUMBEST THINGS (although it could be friends too). In simpler terms, they have no clue.
In my case there was only ONE relative who got it – “WHO DID YOU TICK OFF?” was the question he asked when he heard I lost MY job suddenly! Of course that relative and that comment took about 20 days to surface. I guess he, along with some of the others, decided to just keep their distance. And for me at that time, it was ok. After all who needs friends and relatives anyway just weeks before Christmas?!
There were three people who asked me if I needed anything and they were the three people in my life who were in their own SEASON OF BROKE. Let’s call that BROKER THAN ME!! I was humbled and saddened at the same time. It too was OK as we laughed together, eventually, about who was helping who and what would they have done if I said I needed them! lol
Brace yourself! Here comes the “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” – questions and comments that some felt “compelled to ask!
« Just a bit of advice - These are probably things you should NEVER say to anyone who is in the SEASON OF BROKE!
· “Are you still having Christmas?”
o Really? And have what? Peanut butter sandwiches??
· “What did your husband say?”
o He said GREAT now you can cook me dinner every night! That was after he collapsed from shock!
· “Are you sure you heard them right?” (being half-deaf that may have been a legitimate question lol)
o You know you may be right! I better call there tomorrow to be sure!
· “Congratulations, you made the papers”
o You woke me up to tell me that?
· “If you need a copy of that article I kept it for you” (that was from a friend I hadn’t seen in 20 years!)
o I waited 20 years to reunite with you and that’s all you can say?
And as the weeks went on, the comments got dumber
· We heard you lost your job but figured if you needed anything you would call us
o Really? Cus’ when was the last time someone called you and said hey I lost my job could you send some bread and milk our way??
· Do you miss that job?
o What do you think? Sure I do! Wouldn’t you miss the people that helped make your life stop in an instant!
And most recently after hearing my unemployment ended (what? No more extensions?? What about MY bail out!)
One very “smart” person said: You’re going to need to cut back on your spending because you are working way too hard. And whatever you do, don’t forget to pay yourself first…seriously?? With what money am I going to do that? If I had money to pay anyone it would be the credit card company! That day was probably the one that broke the camel’s back and prompted me to write this Blog!
Cut back on spending? Can’t they see…
I need a manicure
My toes are half French pedi and half clear
My hair is getting greyer every day
I am using clips and lost my shine!
I haven’t been to Lord & Taylor in 3 years
My skin is dry – I need Clinique days
and my butt is getting bigger by the hour because of ALL the work I do from the computer!!
I am using coupons for goodness sake!
My cleaning lady is gone and
I haven’t had my clothes dry cleaned in ages!
Who died and left YOU the expert on being BROKE? Is what I so wanted to say! Instead all I could blurt out was “what cuts are left?” To that the answer was, I don’t know – but I think that people put too much emphasis on money! Helloooo!! Don’t you know I AM IN THE SEASON OF BROKE!
…Don’t judge! It could be YOU. For it’s just a SEASON and this too shall pass…
Thanks to all who have written me about how you enjoy my Blog. Its sole purpose is to make you see the lighter side of a not-so-light situation. It’s a reminder too that better days are ahead. And it’s a reassurance that you are not alone. Most importantly you are not broken just BROKE for now!
*NUITA – Nose up in the Air
Until tomorrow…
The higher the NUITA, the easier it is to trip and fall in the mud.
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