This morning's hearing, plus patriotism
So I was something of a nervous wreck last night and this morning on account of the hearing at court scheduled for this morning. I want to give props to Mitchell both for his supportive attitude and help prepping for it, and for enduring my anxious, snappish behavior about it all with good grace. So he helped me make sure my paperwork was complete and organized the night before, and he made sure I got up on time (more difficult than you might think, given my general issues of chronic fatigue and somnolence). Thanks, Babe! :)
The hearing itself was less painful than I imagined, largely on account of the plaintiff's lawyer, who was very friendly and understanding about my situation. We were able to conduct all our business informally in conference out-of-court rather than in front of the judge (which was good, 'cuz the ancient, beak-nosed, surly gentleman in robes who appeared to preside was intimidating... and my dad worked in the courts, so I grew up around these people). Needless to say, I still owe nearly $4,000, but was able to establish that my income and priority debts made it impossible to pay at this time. I am going to try to scrounge up at least $25/month more out of my already strained budget just to establish some repayment history with them and keep me from more court hearings, which just expand bill. Yeah, it'll take 20 years or something to pay the debt at that rate, but maybe I'll get lucky and die beforehand... or who knows what I may be able to swing, as other, high-interest debt I am carrying gets paid down over the next year or two? At least it's over for now, which has me stressing a lot less. If I had any surplus of funds, I'd take myself to Sea World to someplace to celebrate, but that's not in the budget. (sigh)
In other news, I have noticed that my patriotism has been more at the forefront of my thoughts in recent days. My dad was extremely patriotic, and istilled those values in the family, but I admit the administration of George W. Bush, Jr. with it's endless warmongering, mounting deficits, and intolerant social policy did knock me into the cynical camp for awhile. But as I have grown a bit older (and hopefully, wiser), and as I am moving into a mid-life crisis with all its re-examinations of my values and beliefs, I find myself with a renewed appreciation for the country's history and nobility. Yes, the rich get richer, and there is corruption and intolerance, but... beyond that... beyond the individual examples about which people can become so distraught... by-and-large, our society maintains *huge* numbers of people in a culture rich in personal choice and individual liberty, and in which opportunity to live, work, study, play, and dream is abundantly available. We bitch about inflation and gay rights and unemployment and access to health care (and those are all important things... "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance," after all, so I'm not suggesting we settle for the status quo or stop championing our causes), but the fact that there are ongoing debates on these subjects, that there are public health programs, that there are schools and roads and libraries and sewers and trash collection and scholarships and supermarkets and restaurants and stores full of wonders to sample... all that... is just amazing. The fact that I can turn on my tap and get clean, cold water to drink at will, despite heat and drought and global warming--and I'm not a prince or general or politician or captain-of-industry, or anything beyond a regular citizen that might provide greater access to such simple miracles--is just amazing! I study a lot of ancient cultures, and try to stay informed about the rest of the world in this current era, and really, we have it good.
NEwayz... that's all I have to say about that at the moment, but... good job, America! :)
The hearing itself was less painful than I imagined, largely on account of the plaintiff's lawyer, who was very friendly and understanding about my situation. We were able to conduct all our business informally in conference out-of-court rather than in front of the judge (which was good, 'cuz the ancient, beak-nosed, surly gentleman in robes who appeared to preside was intimidating... and my dad worked in the courts, so I grew up around these people). Needless to say, I still owe nearly $4,000, but was able to establish that my income and priority debts made it impossible to pay at this time. I am going to try to scrounge up at least $25/month more out of my already strained budget just to establish some repayment history with them and keep me from more court hearings, which just expand bill. Yeah, it'll take 20 years or something to pay the debt at that rate, but maybe I'll get lucky and die beforehand... or who knows what I may be able to swing, as other, high-interest debt I am carrying gets paid down over the next year or two? At least it's over for now, which has me stressing a lot less. If I had any surplus of funds, I'd take myself to Sea World to someplace to celebrate, but that's not in the budget. (sigh)
In other news, I have noticed that my patriotism has been more at the forefront of my thoughts in recent days. My dad was extremely patriotic, and istilled those values in the family, but I admit the administration of George W. Bush, Jr. with it's endless warmongering, mounting deficits, and intolerant social policy did knock me into the cynical camp for awhile. But as I have grown a bit older (and hopefully, wiser), and as I am moving into a mid-life crisis with all its re-examinations of my values and beliefs, I find myself with a renewed appreciation for the country's history and nobility. Yes, the rich get richer, and there is corruption and intolerance, but... beyond that... beyond the individual examples about which people can become so distraught... by-and-large, our society maintains *huge* numbers of people in a culture rich in personal choice and individual liberty, and in which opportunity to live, work, study, play, and dream is abundantly available. We bitch about inflation and gay rights and unemployment and access to health care (and those are all important things... "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance," after all, so I'm not suggesting we settle for the status quo or stop championing our causes), but the fact that there are ongoing debates on these subjects, that there are public health programs, that there are schools and roads and libraries and sewers and trash collection and scholarships and supermarkets and restaurants and stores full of wonders to sample... all that... is just amazing. The fact that I can turn on my tap and get clean, cold water to drink at will, despite heat and drought and global warming--and I'm not a prince or general or politician or captain-of-industry, or anything beyond a regular citizen that might provide greater access to such simple miracles--is just amazing! I study a lot of ancient cultures, and try to stay informed about the rest of the world in this current era, and really, we have it good.
NEwayz... that's all I have to say about that at the moment, but... good job, America! :)