Feckless for LJ Idol
Back in 2007, I had a major financial meltdown, and my family had to bail me out.
Clearly, this is not my proudest moment. Honestly, it came down to me not adjusting well to life in a more expensive city, and my pay was barely able to cover my expenses. I could have (and should have) budgeted before, but... anyway, it was a mess, I haven't had serious issues with money since.
Well, several months after my financial meltdown, my brother called me.
Me: Hey!
Bro: I have a question.
Me: Fire away.
Bro: Well, I've been unemployed... and (my sister-in-law) is a teacher's aide...
Me: Mmmm hmmm
Bro: We might lose the house.
Me: Oh crap.
Bro: We need serious help.
Me: Okay, when you talk to mom, lay everything out...
Bro: What?
Me: Mom will have questions. Answer them.
Bro: (sighing) Can't you tell her for me?
Me: ... what?
Bro: I don't know what to say..
Me: ... Just say what happened and exactly how much trouble you're in.
Bro: And I hate fighting with her.
Me: She won't fight so much. She'll chew you out. But she'll do what she can.
Bro: But... can't you break it to her. You tell her, and then have her call me.
Me: ... No.
Bro: But...
Me: It's not my mess.
Bro: ... We could lose the house! And if we do, what happens then? We could lose the kids.
Me: SO TELL MOM!
Bro: I... can't.
Me: You CAN... you just don't want to.
Bro: That's not fair.
Me: And me dealing with your mess is?
Bro: I've never asked...
Me: Oh, please. Remember when you got (his now wife, then girlfriend) pregnant? You wanted me to tell mom.
Bro: ...
Me: I'm not doing that again.
Bro: But we're desperate...
Me: Then grow up, act like an adult and have the conversation with her.
The conversation ended soon after that.
A week or so later, I got a call from Mom.
Mom: Your brother just called me. He said you knew.
Me: Yup. And I told him I wasn;t going to tell you, that he had to.
Mom: You should have...
Me: ABSOLUTELY NOT. It's his issue not mine. You can be as upset with me about not telling you as you want, but I don't want to hear about it.
Mom: ... I... okay can I ask you some questions, because I don't think he was telling me everything.
Me: He didn't tell me much, but fire away.
My mom and her sister did manage to bail out my brother. In fact, mom still sends him a monthly check.
Clearly, this is not my proudest moment. Honestly, it came down to me not adjusting well to life in a more expensive city, and my pay was barely able to cover my expenses. I could have (and should have) budgeted before, but... anyway, it was a mess, I haven't had serious issues with money since.
Well, several months after my financial meltdown, my brother called me.
Me: Hey!
Bro: I have a question.
Me: Fire away.
Bro: Well, I've been unemployed... and (my sister-in-law) is a teacher's aide...
Me: Mmmm hmmm
Bro: We might lose the house.
Me: Oh crap.
Bro: We need serious help.
Me: Okay, when you talk to mom, lay everything out...
Bro: What?
Me: Mom will have questions. Answer them.
Bro: (sighing) Can't you tell her for me?
Me: ... what?
Bro: I don't know what to say..
Me: ... Just say what happened and exactly how much trouble you're in.
Bro: And I hate fighting with her.
Me: She won't fight so much. She'll chew you out. But she'll do what she can.
Bro: But... can't you break it to her. You tell her, and then have her call me.
Me: ... No.
Bro: But...
Me: It's not my mess.
Bro: ... We could lose the house! And if we do, what happens then? We could lose the kids.
Me: SO TELL MOM!
Bro: I... can't.
Me: You CAN... you just don't want to.
Bro: That's not fair.
Me: And me dealing with your mess is?
Bro: I've never asked...
Me: Oh, please. Remember when you got (his now wife, then girlfriend) pregnant? You wanted me to tell mom.
Bro: ...
Me: I'm not doing that again.
Bro: But we're desperate...
Me: Then grow up, act like an adult and have the conversation with her.
The conversation ended soon after that.
A week or so later, I got a call from Mom.
Mom: Your brother just called me. He said you knew.
Me: Yup. And I told him I wasn;t going to tell you, that he had to.
Mom: You should have...
Me: ABSOLUTELY NOT. It's his issue not mine. You can be as upset with me about not telling you as you want, but I don't want to hear about it.
Mom: ... I... okay can I ask you some questions, because I don't think he was telling me everything.
Me: He didn't tell me much, but fire away.
My mom and her sister did manage to bail out my brother. In fact, mom still sends him a monthly check.