A Request
To be honest, there's a large part of me that feels I shouldn't even ask for this. I mean, it's not like other people who ask the ether for money to keep their apartment and their child. However, I hope that once you hear some of my story, that even if you don't feel like you can help, you at least won't feel like I'm a selfish person.
My husband just lost his job. AGAIN. Since January of 2008, he's had a series of bad luck with work. Non-contract jobs want someone who is more corporate than he is. He does well in contracting, but that is inherently unstable and very unpredictable. One client even stiffed him on about $2,000 and that lawsuit is still being worked out (garnishment of the guy's bank account was set up only to discover that he had, of course, pulled his money out).
On top of this, I am trying to finish a degree in education. I am one year away from a degree that will allow me to teach middle school math and English. I know that the teaching field is a bit wobbly jobs-wise, but math is a bit less wobbly than other subjects. It's my hope that my good grades, excellent test scores, and letters of recommendation will help me get this job. Unfortunately, I have bipolar disorder and am well aware of how stress can affect my mood swings. One thing I have found in managing it is that I need a routine and I need to take care how I portion out my time and energy. One result of this is that I concentrate on school. I have work study, but that only brings in about $500 a month, when I'm taking classes. And this summer, I am not taking classes, because nothing I need is being offered.
My husband and I have talked a lot about how I should not quit school and go back to work. Without my degree, I would have no more to go to an employer with than an associate degree and my retail experience. My employability is very much dependent on my getting that degree.
Now we come to a more personal revelation that leads to my request. My husband and I are polyamorous. We believe that a person can love more than just one person. I have a lover who lives far from me. We don't get to see each other often, because of money and time. In fact, except for a brief day or so (mostly not spent alone) a few weeks ago, the last time we saw each other was October of 2008. I have plans to see him in mid-June. And after that, I don't even know when I will be able to see him because I am student teaching in the fall (and of course, there's the whole money issue).
This trip has been in the works since December. The plane tickets have already been purchased and the tickets are non-refundable. I also already purchased my registration at the convention where we are meeting. The sticking point is that my hotel room, while reserved, is not paid for. The cost of the room for the three nights I would be staying is just under $300 (that includes taxes, but my confirmation says the cost is estimated. So, I could have to pay more and won't know till I get there. I also need some small amount of money to get the train to and from the airport (this is in Chicagoland). I think I can get to a grocery store to put some food in my room on my own and I also think that my love will help me with any food in a restaurant. So, I think that $400 would allow me to take this trip.
I know that it may seem selfish; like I should just let the plane ticket money go to waste and not go. However, I also feel like not going would devastate me. I am already pretty devastated that we are once again in the limbo of not knowing where the money is coming from, of not being sure if we will make our bills or be able to get groceries. To add to that, before this happened we had decided to start saving up so we could move up to Chicagoland so I would be near my love. And now I have lost that, too.
So, if you feel inclined to help out a little bit, going would make me so very happy. Thank you for reading this and for any help you can give.
My husband just lost his job. AGAIN. Since January of 2008, he's had a series of bad luck with work. Non-contract jobs want someone who is more corporate than he is. He does well in contracting, but that is inherently unstable and very unpredictable. One client even stiffed him on about $2,000 and that lawsuit is still being worked out (garnishment of the guy's bank account was set up only to discover that he had, of course, pulled his money out).
On top of this, I am trying to finish a degree in education. I am one year away from a degree that will allow me to teach middle school math and English. I know that the teaching field is a bit wobbly jobs-wise, but math is a bit less wobbly than other subjects. It's my hope that my good grades, excellent test scores, and letters of recommendation will help me get this job. Unfortunately, I have bipolar disorder and am well aware of how stress can affect my mood swings. One thing I have found in managing it is that I need a routine and I need to take care how I portion out my time and energy. One result of this is that I concentrate on school. I have work study, but that only brings in about $500 a month, when I'm taking classes. And this summer, I am not taking classes, because nothing I need is being offered.
My husband and I have talked a lot about how I should not quit school and go back to work. Without my degree, I would have no more to go to an employer with than an associate degree and my retail experience. My employability is very much dependent on my getting that degree.
Now we come to a more personal revelation that leads to my request. My husband and I are polyamorous. We believe that a person can love more than just one person. I have a lover who lives far from me. We don't get to see each other often, because of money and time. In fact, except for a brief day or so (mostly not spent alone) a few weeks ago, the last time we saw each other was October of 2008. I have plans to see him in mid-June. And after that, I don't even know when I will be able to see him because I am student teaching in the fall (and of course, there's the whole money issue).
This trip has been in the works since December. The plane tickets have already been purchased and the tickets are non-refundable. I also already purchased my registration at the convention where we are meeting. The sticking point is that my hotel room, while reserved, is not paid for. The cost of the room for the three nights I would be staying is just under $300 (that includes taxes, but my confirmation says the cost is estimated. So, I could have to pay more and won't know till I get there. I also need some small amount of money to get the train to and from the airport (this is in Chicagoland). I think I can get to a grocery store to put some food in my room on my own and I also think that my love will help me with any food in a restaurant. So, I think that $400 would allow me to take this trip.
I know that it may seem selfish; like I should just let the plane ticket money go to waste and not go. However, I also feel like not going would devastate me. I am already pretty devastated that we are once again in the limbo of not knowing where the money is coming from, of not being sure if we will make our bills or be able to get groceries. To add to that, before this happened we had decided to start saving up so we could move up to Chicagoland so I would be near my love. And now I have lost that, too.
So, if you feel inclined to help out a little bit, going would make me so very happy. Thank you for reading this and for any help you can give.