It's more than just a financial victory, though I will be saving quite a bit of money by paying it off about 4 years ahead of schedule, but it's a major symbolic victory as well.
The debt was the remaining amount left from educational loans, money still owed from the college where I had my nervous breakdown. It's the closing of a chapter in life, a new start, and a way of saying that I'm starting to take back control again. It's rather appropriate that it happened just after New Year's day, a new year, a new beginning This year will be much different than the last.
Life will be much better, and I'll truly be able to start over again. The planning is there, now I just need the patience. I'm thankful to everyone who has been reading this blog, listening to my opinions, and to my story. I'm not where I should be in life yet, but I'm getting there, and writing this blog has helped a lot in my recovery, helping to put my past behind me.
Sharing my story has allowed me to confront my past, and move on, within a year or so, I'll be moving into a new chapter in life that has it's own challenges, I'll keep everyone updated even then, letting you know how I am doing, and about the new struggles.
Good job. Debt is slavery.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I rarely agree with the Bible anymore, but it is right when it says that the "borrower is servant to the lender".
DeleteCongrats! (can I borrow five bucks)
ReplyDelete20% interest ;)
DeleteThanks for stopping by, I enjoy your blog, even though I can feel lost sometimes when you talk about science. Unlike my namesake, it isn't my strong suit.
Congratulations, this is a good day :) I can't wait until I get my student loans all paid off.
ReplyDeleteThe nervous breakdown was a blessing in disguise, I didn't have much debt because I was only at that university for a year, I'm in far better financial shape than most people because of it.
DeleteIt also helps that the events surrounding that time helped to lead me down the road that would eventually lead me to become an agnostic.
It's strange how life works like that, I hope you can get your loans paid off some day.
Luckily, my wife and I were each able to work for most of college and grad school. I only had to take on loans for about a year and her for a quarter, so it isn't all that bad. I do hate paying that little bit each month though, I can't imagine what it is like for people who are 100k+ in debt. It would be absolutely crippling.
DeleteI feel bad for the people that have massive sums of debt and still can't get a job in the field they majored in, either due to the crappy economy over the last decade, or that their college didn't properly train them for their field/scammed them.
DeleteBelieve me, both scenarios are incredibly common.
As someone who is not using his Ph.D., I definitely believe you
DeletePh.D in Biblicial studies/theology, I assume?
DeleteDid studying the Bible lead you to become an atheist?
Math actually :)
DeleteProfessor jobs are ridiculously competitive. A friend of mine got a post-doc and it turned out there were 1500 applications for 2 positions. I adjuncted for a year, but then funding was cut (further) and none of us were rehired.
The bible stuff was just a lark really. I never read the bible as a Christian or in 10 years of being an atheist. Figured it would be interesting to see what is in there and started the blog to keep myself motivated to read it.
I wish I had read the bile as a Christian, my atheism probably would have come about sooner ;)
I'm surprised you hadn't read the Bible as a Christian, you must not have been a fundamentalist then.
DeleteYes, I do agree, your atheism probably would have come about sooner.
I read it here and there, but only verses I was told to read, I never just sat down and read it. In fact, the parts I was supposed to read I usually didn't either. It always seemed so boring.
DeleteI think of my parent's church as fundamentalist, I think I was just hated reading the bible so much that my parent eventually gave up. we didn't believe in evolution. We also believed in 6 day creation and 6000 year old earth, I remember my dad once told me that humans and dinosaurs lived side by side, when I asked him why dinosaurs aren't mentioned in the bible he said they were commonplace and not worth bringing up. The young earth stuff almost never came up, although they did rail against evolution quite often.
What other things would make a church fundamentalist?
What things would make a church fundamentalist?
DeleteTo me, opposition to homosexuality, belief in divine inspiration of the Bible, and in interpretation the Bible literally in most cases. Belief in creationism, especially young earth creationism, skepticism of the psychiatric field (people with mental illness are just suffering from "guilt", a lack of a "proper relationship with god", or worst case scenario, demon possessed).
Deliberate isolation from the outside world, or people warned not to let the outside world influence them be "in the world", but not "of the world".
I should make a post out of this.
Yeah, my parents church checked each of those boxes to one degree or another.
DeleteI agree, this would be good material for a post.
Ouch, my sympathies there, that's not a great way to grow up.
DeleteCongratulations, Sheldon. There's nothing like that feeling that one gets knowing that (s)he is finally debt free. As a retired bill collector who formerly had my own hard times, I've seen both sides of the financial problems issue.
ReplyDeleteI know many people in the collection business aren't that rich themselves, which is quite a bit of irony.
DeleteAt least the collection business for the most part has become friendlier, and more willing to work with people.
Congratulations, Sheldon! I have not faced debt or other financial stuff till now as I am still a student. You mentioned that you are a bit turned off by science. At least for Physics, I can say that you can consider reading "Fundamentals of Physics" by Halliday, Resnick and Walker, it is a physics textbook. In the beginning it will only require basic mathematics, start from beginning and solve all problems.As you move up you will need some basic calculus but by then you will not have problem understanding that either. Work through the book at your pace you will soon find that you are becoming better and better at understanding science stuff. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never said I've been turned off by science, I just find it hard to understand, I should learn more about it.
DeleteWell, congratulations, Sheldon! Paying off your debts is certainly one good reason to celebrate and feel good. But the fact that you're planning for your future and seeing everything good in front of you is a better reason to celebrate. I am happy for you, and I hope you can keep yourself free from debt from here onwards. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteJaden Allred