I’ve worked in banking, and I’ve had to rebuild after bankruptcy. Those experiences give me a personal reason to ask: when did the size of someone’s bank account become a measure of their importance?
An application can ask for income and credit history. It leaves out much of the life behind those numbers.
Money matters. Rent is remarkably uninterested in an inspirational quote. Wanting financial stability is reasonable, and I want it too.
But respect shouldn’t depend on whether somebody is financially comfortable.
People face financial setbacks for many reasons. They deserve dignity without having to explain the most painful chapter of their history. We can discuss responsibility without making humiliation part of the payment plan.
Bankruptcy has been part of my story. I’ve also survived AIDS and a stroke, returned to work after disability, and kept learning what I can do with the life in front of me. No single financial label tells you all of that.
Most people carry more than an application can explain.
There’s a practical side to this. We can be clear about costs and obligations. We can say no when we need to. We can have standards without treating someone as beneath us.
I want to remember that as a customer and in my customer-service work. Courtesy matters when someone can’t buy, doesn’t qualify, or needs an explanation twice.
As I build FindMeRaw, I want a life with more choices and less financial strain. I’m working toward it. I also want to recognize the worth of the person doing that work right now.
I deserve that respect while I’m rebuilding, too.
What do you wish people understood about you before they looked at your finances?
Leave a Reply