Member-only story
Joining the Club That No One Wants to Be In
This Makes Me Sad, and Mad.
Two people I’ve known and loved for a long time, who shall remain nameless, are facing the harsh reality they (perhaps unrealistically) never expected. Both are loving dads who set about making a life for themselves and their families like so many others — working the same kind of jobs that made money for generations before them. They graduated from college, embraced the family hand-up, and took off from there. They did their best to make it work.
Now, each of them in slightly different ways, face financial ruin. Even before the stock market and the rest of the economy started doing flip-flops. Neither owns a home, though they both live in fancy digs. I’d say they’re living beyond their means. Money in the bank? Nope. Safety net of any kind? They wish, but no. Retirement savings. Not a nickel.
Both guys pursued the good life, as most do, and worked hard. They’ve tried their best to give their kids time and opportunity. They embraced religion, of the sort that seemed to fit their lifestyle choices, the conservative, anti-women, anti-personal responsibility kind.
