Nix Bits

I go through a range of emotions, but basically there are two sides to it. On the one side, I am hopeful and optimistic. Yes, our home was damaged, but it doesn’t appear to be totalled. We have flood and homeowner’s insurance. We evacuated with all of our photos, important papers, clothes including suits and Jennifer’s wedding dress. We got all of our pets out with us. I still have a full time job and a full time paycheck. We are staying with friends who have been soooo kind to us and not in a shelter. My family and friends are well and many of them have undamaged homes waiting for them. We are so much more blessed than so many others out there and we know it.

Yeah, this is putting on a brave face but you’ve got to try and find the positive in all of this. By putting on that face, you help yourself stay up. My wife’s a pychologist, so I know how this works.

flip. On the other side…..

Enormous frustration and despair. We LOST OUR HOUSE. It’s only one story and three rooms. We took a foot of water but it might as well have been 10 feet because who knows when or if we’ll be able to live in it again. The longer we’re out, the worse the mold gets and we can’t get in to clean it or even assess the damage. We can’t get an insurance adjustor in and no matter how much coverage we have, they’ll be out to minimize claims any way they can. Where the heck are we supposed to live? How are we going to pay rent and a mortgage on a house we can’t live in?

We lost our other car. No, it wasn’t a great car, but it’s gone now. Jennifer lost both of her offices. Chances are she won’t be able to cover the physical losses with insurance or FEMA and how on Earth is she going to rebuild that business?

Yeah, I’ve got a full time job. For now. For how long? Sure companies are going to put on a brave face and I know my employer is genuinely motivated to help us out and keep things running. But this is an enormous and expensive strain. Good intentions may not be enough to usurp financial realities.

Every time I speak to an insurance company, FEMA, or some service we owe monthly bills to like our cell phone company, I leave the conversation on the verge of rage. Everyone’s out to protect their own assets. It’s every company and every man for themselves.

Life is tough. Get over it. You’re on your own. You’ve got it better than other folks so you can just tough it out and pull yourself up by your bootstraps. What’s your problem anyway? You’re upsetting me. Can we change the subject? I’ve got my own problems to deal with. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.