Do The Hustle

It goes without sayiing that our first year as a "single dad household" was incredibly stressful for everyone. Not having an actual income only compounded the problem. By August the person I was "renting" our house from had reached their breaking point. I hadn't been able to pay rent all year and they simply could not carry me any farther.

I was left with two options. Take my kids to a homeless shelter or move in with my mother.

I chose the homeless shelter.

I'm kidding. We moved into my mother's house over Labor Day Weekend. It was a lot of packing and unpacking. It was a lot of heavy lifting. It was difficult explaining to the kids why we had to move. It was crowded and a lot louder than our house. It was uncomfortable for everyone.

And it was humiliating.

I knew that once I made that move I could forget about finding a healthy woman to become my wife. I knew the chances of finding a healthy woman who wanted to marry a thirty-four year old man with three children who "lived with his mommy" were incalculably small. Since an unhealthy woman was not an option, any hope of a relationship was off the table for the foreseeable future. Folks might be willing to lend a hand to help but, a help mate would not be coming.

I told myself, "It's not forever, it's for now. You'll find a job, save up some cash, and get a place. You'll be back in your own house in a year or two."

I kept showing up at the straight commission jobs. I did odd drywall jobs that I picked up here and there. I even put together a deal with a business man that I knew would make us both a lot of money. I also knew that the company he represented would not live up to their contracts with the clients I'd be helping this guy find. So, I killed the deal.

I did a little personal coaching for a couple of small business owners I knew. It worked. Their businesses grew immediately. And collapsed just as fast when they stopped doing what I'd taught them.

I borrowed $1600 from another business man I knew to get started with a multi-level company. The problem with that was, to succeed in that kind of business you have to be a really good salesperson and a disciplined leader. I was neither. The business man ended up forgiving the debt.

Just as I was about to give up all hope a placement service called me. They found a position for me with a large corporation with a prestigious name. It didn't pay very much but it was steady money every week. I jumped at it. When I told my mother she was ecstatic.  When I told my kids they were excited. After thirteen incredibly long months things were looking up.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "Good things may come to those who wait but, only what is left by those who hustle."

I found I wasn't very good at the hustle.

About fifteen years ago there was a song that said, "Sometimes He calms the storm and other times He calms His child."

Sometimes, the only way through a storm is to hang on and let it blow itself out.

That's my view from here.