10 YEARS AGO: “Dad, I need help.” Each syllable took centuries to say. My eyes anchored to the carpet in his office as we sat among hundreds of books, bibles and sermon files staring at my proposal for a parental financial bailout. I was 30. How careless of God to let this happen to me. Again.
I was broker than broke. My girlfriend at the time offered a portion of her teacher’s salary to help keep my dream alive but my pride had to draw the line somewhere. So I assembled just enough courage to ask my father for the $1,278.25 I needed to make it 1 more month. Just 3 years into “following my dreams” I sat devastated as they burned to the ground. I didn’t want to die. But I also didn’t see much reason for being alive. ———————————————————- Weeks later... I got a call from a former boss I assumed hated me about a social media job I was wholly unqualified for. I told Lee Applbaum I would accept.
———————————————————- Months later... I would propose to that generous teacher at her school. @alisharparker said yes.
———————————————————- Years later... the people I met along the path to failure would open the very doors to every single opportunity I had since. @intuit @patron @greygoose @radioshack —————————————————————- A decade later... the doubt, debt and depression that nearly cost me everything have become valuable lessons. Scars suck but they teach us so much. I pray Caleb, Chloe and Chan will benefit from my bruises and find meaning in their own.
Not sure why I shared this. Past-tense struggles are easier to post, I suppose. My dad did end up giving me that loan - after praying about it for a few days. 😁. I’ve been trying to pay it forward ever since.
