GET A JOB, YA BUMB
And that’s exactly what we wanted to do, but we could not find one!
In 1989 my husband, Mike, had just graduated from college and we could not find a ‘good’ job. With three children and the fourth on the way, the best we could do at the time was to cut our losses. We sold our modest condo in Las Vegas and moved across the street. It was a pretty big street.
I’ll never forget when our oldest, at the wise age of 3 1/2, asked, “Mommy, why have we moved to this stinky place?” Nevermind that before we moved in we paid to have the carpets professionally cleaned, twice. Still, I learned to not kneel on the floor when I fixed the girls’ hair. The supposedly clean carpet actually left marks on the knees of my pants.
The police patrolled the street at least twice a day. One horrible night, while Mike was out…driving a taxi cab with his college education, I anxiously wondered when I should call the police to come deal with the couple upstairs as they fought hour after hour. Another night the police did show up but only to remove the body after a drug overdose.
Times were tough. All over. I learned some things. But man! We hated that place. The only good part, and I mean THE ONLY GOOD PART, was that financially, we were not digging a hole for ourselves. We had done our best to prepare for a good job but when we couldn’t find one we made a course correction. We moved into the home we could afford. We stopped digging.
The ‘new’ apartment only had two tiny, TINY bedrooms. We made it work for our three tiny daughters by squeezing a twin bed into the second room, so that it was touching the wall on three sides. Then I made up the bed sideways, instead of the normal way. When we tucked the three little girls in at night they looked like little burritos. It wasn’t great but it worked.
And it didn’t last forever. Some months later, we moved back to Utah, and we were able to rent a small two bedroom home in a much better neighborhood. We still didn’t have enough room, or enough money, but we had a much better job and our financial situation slowly began to improve.
I guess I’ve shared all this because I’m worried about the young families who are struggling with the lack of good jobs in today’s economy. We know how that feels. What worked for us was to continue to serve, be prayerful, work as hard as we could, and be willing to make the difficult decisions. We learned how to focus on life rather than lifestyle.
Tags: but it always works, not always a pretty picture, provident living
May 15th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Thank you so much for sharing your memories, Leisa. Sounds strangely familiar…:)
Dh and I had a very similar start. Though Dh had a job, it certainly was not what we had hoped for. After spending 7 years getting a university education, our income certainly didn’t reflect Dh’s education. I was at home with our first baby, struggling to make ends meet and still eat.:) There were many times that we ate Kraft Dinner and canned beans for days before a pay day. We used cloth diapers, second hand clothing, etc. and through it all our sweet baby boy was the happiest little soul.
Funny part is…when I look back on those times, I realize how wonderful things really were. We were destitute, but SO happy.:)
Joyce
May 15th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Fabulous, thank you so much for sharing this.
Sounds vaugely like our life
May 15th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Thanks. I truly needed that.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Opps…sorry Liesa, I spelled you name incorrectly in my previous post.(blush)
Hugs, Joyce
May 15th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Never worry about the spelling of my name! I for sure don’t. Thanks for your sweet perspective Joyce. I wish I could say that when I look back I have a great attitude like you.
The truth is, when I look back I get the shivers. It still gives me the creeps, but I’m really glad that we didn’t make our situation MORE difficult by resisting change and piling on debt. Additional debt would have only made a bad time, even worse. And like your baby boy, our children were fine. There was not a single blade of grass for them to play on…so we went to the park!
May 15th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
You’re welcom Jeannetta! Tough times feel so lonely. I remember that part also.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
One thing for sure, Jennifer: Things change.
They really will. They always do. They have to. xoxoxo!
May 16th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Our children are growing up in a much different world than we did. It’s called a “material” world and they think that they are “owed” all the luxuries of life. They are never satisfied with life. They are for sure not going to have a future free from debt let a lone a future filled with the peace that being debt free brings. Money never did “buy” happiness. (sorry, bad day)
May 16th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
The world IS much different! I think it may have some interesting lessons to teach all of us. Hope your day is better, Kris! xoxoxo
May 16th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Sounds like our situation now, except my husband does have a good job. Tiny apartment, not exactly the best neighborhood. But instead of going into a large amount of debt to get into a larger apartment or a house, we’re working very hard to save money for a down payment. It really is difficult sometimes, but it helps to remember that young couples have gone through this for generations. Once we can afford better living conditions we will get them, and no sooner.
May 16th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
I love this post! Reminds me of the summer between 5th and 6th grade, when my mom and step dad had just bought a restaurant. We moved to a new town in MT and lived in a 3 bedroom trailer. All TWELVE of us, thank you very much. 4 girls in the largest room, 3 boys in the medium room, 3 boys in the living room on the fold out couches, and parents in the smallest room sharing a twin bed, and of course only one bathroom. I’m grateful for parents who, like you and Mike, didn’t keep digging the hole deeper when times were tough. Amazingly, we all look back now and have nothing but good things to say about that year and a half.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Congratulations Stephanie! You guys are on the road to success!!! I hope more couples will follow the pattern of a slow and steady pace. You’re a great example.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
That’s pretty sweet Bonnie. I’m really glad you shared your experience. It’s tricky to remember that children can be satisfied and even HAPPY with so much less than we think!
May 17th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Leisa,
Amen to all you have said. Instant gratification is NOT what it is about. Life instead of lifestyle.