I'm Thinking of Running Away

I've been staring at that $44,000 in my savings account. I check my bank balance every couple of hours. I drive by the house on the next street that I could buy simply by writing a check with that bank balance. I picture taking that forty-four thousand out in one dollar bills and sitting in the middle of it, tossing it in the air.

Tyler and I discussed, laughing and joking, my taking the money and running. I could drive to Mexico. Hey, I think Canada is only about three hours away. Jeannie, do you have a guest room in that beautiful new house? I'm sure my passport is someplace deep in my storage unit.

Midday today, my realtor called to tell me the repairs on the house were finished. I told him I signed all the papers yesterday and onvernighted them back to the title company and that I would wire the money on Tuesday. He said, "we're almost done." Then he got very serious and said, "Jan, you're my role model."

I've known this man for nine years. He's known me when my fiancé and I were were worth a million dollars and then twenty million dollars and then fifty million dollars and then a million again. He helped us buy the fifty-three hundred square foot house. He stuck with me through that horrible weekend when EEFFH said "I want to be alone" and my life fell apart and I did the right thing, the gracious thing. And now I'm at the bottom, ready to make my way back up. He's seen my tears and he knows how hard this has been. And today he said to me, "I have seen so many people just walk away from their responsibilities. I know how hard these sales have been for you, and I admire you tremendously for hanging in there and handling these closings. In this market, you're a role model. I admire you for what you've done."

So maybe I won't run away.

I did have a very interesting conversation with one of my close girlfriends in Tucson as I was driving home this evening. Our other dear mutual friend is having a horrible time. Her phone has been turned off. She owns several houses she's rented out over the years. She's on the verge of losing several of her homes. My friend told me people are losing their homes right and left in Tucson now. She told me I was very, very lucky to have found buyers for my houses.

I guess it could have been worse!