| In all sorts of corners of life we now assume that | | | | Actually, what I've seen more of are foreclosed |
| it is wrong to not treat others well. For example, | | | | homes with everything left behind, including |
| in the U.S. we no longer have separate entrances | | | | wedding pictures and the belongs of evicted |
| based on the color of your skin. Buildings make | | | | people left by the side of the road for passerby's |
| allowances for physical limitations and a recent | | | | to pick through. Ashamed people flee. |
| news story said that more people have | | | | Debtors deserve dignity. I'm not saying that we |
| developed a tolerance for the religion of others. | | | | need to give anyone a free ride in life. I'm just |
| But we could make some advances in learning to | | | | saying that people in debt are wounded and |
| treat people in debt, with dignity. I'd have to say | | | | deserve to be treated as you would anyone in a |
| that currently, society treats debtors as losers | | | | difficult time or in a fragile moment. |
| and if debtors were on a ledge getting ready to | | | | Being in debt is a mathematical position with |
| leap, a crowd below would be yelling "Jump!" | | | | emotional manifestations. Being unable to pay your |
| The majority of people without financial problems | | | | bills is not a casual reality for most debtors. People |
| love a little debtor voyeurism and to witness the | | | | in debt want to pay their bills, they do, but they |
| financial misery of others. It's like watching the | | | | can't see a way or they are not emotionally |
| train wreck through cracks in your fingers as you | | | | ready to make those hard lifestyle changes to |
| hold your hand over your eyes. You don't want | | | | meet their new obligations. |
| to watch but you do. | | | | Being unready or unprepared to make changes to |
| Imagine if suicide was like debt and when you | | | | get the numbers to line up does not make you a |
| were contemplating killing yourself your creditors | | | | bad person. It just makes you someone that for |
| kept calling you and say things like "you are a | | | | some reason is unwilling to make some difficult |
| loser" or "just do it and good riddance"? That's | | | | choices right then. |
| some pretty cruel mojo isn't it? Maybe we should | | | | Being in debt is about managing depression, |
| call the overweight kid that is depressed and yell, | | | | despair and loneliness. I'm not saying that all |
| "fatty, fatty" into the phone. But I doubt that | | | | debtors feel that way, but most do. Being in debt |
| would be kind or beneficial at all. | | | | is about a loss of self-esteem and self-confidence. |
| So why is it when people are in financial trouble | | | | It's about being unable to make a plan, stick to it |
| that we can't wrap our arms around them and | | | | and make it happen. |
| treat them with care, compassion and respect. | | | | The emotional pain of being in debt robs ourselves |
| We should. We all should. | | | | of our own dignity and the rest of society does |
| If you've never been deep in debt and afraid, | | | | almost nothing to help cradle the debtor with love |
| unable to sleep, on the verge of an anxiety | | | | and compassion to soften the blow and easy the |
| attack, and depressed, it might be hard for you | | | | journey. |
| to imagine what life is like during those dark days | | | | Debtor's are losers. Debtor's are rejects. Debtor's |
| of debt. While some might put on a mask, most | | | | are liars. Debtor's a failures. And all of those |
| people are ashamed, unhappy and afraid inside. | | | | statements are uttered every day by people and |
| Being in debt is the modern day leprosy. When | | | | none of them are true. Instead they are like the |
| you can't spend money like you used to people | | | | school yard shouts of the insensitive bully that |
| don't seem to be around as much, your life | | | | leaves scars for life on fragile minds. |
| changes in a way that you perceive to be for the | | | | Debtors do have a duty to find a solution to |
| worse and when you've got to move because | | | | make the pain and misery they are living through, |
| you can't afford the rent it's like being hustled off | | | | change. But that can be like asking someone with |
| to the leper colony. You're now isolated for all the | | | | a bad back to run a marathon. It can happen but |
| wrong reasons. | | | | with a little help and support. |
| I can't think of any time that I've ever seen | | | | Being in debt is a thing but being a debtor is |
| someone post a sign in their front yard that says, | | | | personal and debtors deserve to be treated with |
| "Hi Y'all we're so broke we can't afford to live | | | | dignity and compassion while they are helped |
| here anymore and we are getting kicked out." | | | | towards a solution. |