Not to sound snooty or anything, but when I walked into that bankruptcy court today, I have to admit that I was expecting somewhat of a soup line of folks. As I mentioned in a previous post today, there were business people there, people who looked as if they could be my neighbor, friend or colleague.
When my brothers and I were growing up, we would hate for our parents to take us to the thrift stores, Kmart, Payless (remember ProWings?) and Pic N Save. Why? Because (gasp) we might see our friends there and lord knows a rumor would spread around school. It was only after my mom explained to me that if THEY were there too, then THEY must be in the same boat as me. That quelled the embarrassment.
Hey, look, it's your right (or priviledge) as a US Citizen to throw your hands up and say, "I f'd up"...give me another chance".
Life is a continum. Stuff happens. Would you rather sit there and stress about your bills, your house, your car and wonder where the money is coming from to save your butt, OR go through a designated process that millions of others have gone through for situations just like yours, and have the peace of mind knowing that things will be taken care of?
You're NOT a deadbeat, low class, or anything negative because you're taking this step. You can always pay back your creditors, if you so desire. There's no harm in that. In fact, the only way that you should feel shamed or embarrassed is if you are not being true to yourself---or you tried to "work the system".
But, there's no shame in filing for Bankruptcy. This is the bailout for us hardworking Americans that just need a second chance. That's all it is. It's there for you, if you can take advantage of it and use it as a survival tactic, as someone mentioned above, than more power to you!!
Bottom line, it's a strategic move. Companies do it all the time. And, if you've gone through the process, how helpful can you then be to a friend or family member who is struggling with their debt and haven't considered filing BK? This experience makes you stronger...not weaker.
When my brothers and I were growing up, we would hate for our parents to take us to the thrift stores, Kmart, Payless (remember ProWings?) and Pic N Save. Why? Because (gasp) we might see our friends there and lord knows a rumor would spread around school. It was only after my mom explained to me that if THEY were there too, then THEY must be in the same boat as me. That quelled the embarrassment.
Hey, look, it's your right (or priviledge) as a US Citizen to throw your hands up and say, "I f'd up"...give me another chance".
Life is a continum. Stuff happens. Would you rather sit there and stress about your bills, your house, your car and wonder where the money is coming from to save your butt, OR go through a designated process that millions of others have gone through for situations just like yours, and have the peace of mind knowing that things will be taken care of?
You're NOT a deadbeat, low class, or anything negative because you're taking this step. You can always pay back your creditors, if you so desire. There's no harm in that. In fact, the only way that you should feel shamed or embarrassed is if you are not being true to yourself---or you tried to "work the system".
But, there's no shame in filing for Bankruptcy. This is the bailout for us hardworking Americans that just need a second chance. That's all it is. It's there for you, if you can take advantage of it and use it as a survival tactic, as someone mentioned above, than more power to you!!
Bottom line, it's a strategic move. Companies do it all the time. And, if you've gone through the process, how helpful can you then be to a friend or family member who is struggling with their debt and haven't considered filing BK? This experience makes you stronger...not weaker.
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