I Met a Man Named John (Newsletter published January 1999)

I have been going through boxes and stored items so that I can get rid of things that I've saved over the years that I will never need. One of the benefits of doing this is that I am also finding things that I've saved because I wanted to keep them, like old Newsletter publications in which I wrote articles about things other than industry topics and our company's services. 

Several of the articles had to do with my life as a single, custodial father of two daughters. This particular article got more positive comments when I wrote it than any other article I wrote for the Newsletter. With that introduction, here is "I Met a Man Named John," which is most likely slightly edited because I don't have to make it fit and also because I'm anal like that. 

(The thing that seems most funny in rewriting this article is that I am now about the age of the "elderly, well-dressed Black man." As I look back on things, I seem to have learned a lesson from my encounter with the man who had the riches that money cannot buy.)

The Best Christmas Present (Newsletter - Issue 302 in January 2001)

Christmas was going to be different this year. With Erin back at her mom's house in West Virginia, it would be the first time in her thirteen years that she wouldn't be with me. I know she is well, and that she is with people who love her, but it didn't make it that much easier for me to deal with. 

One of the biggest changes was that I would have to get the stuff going back to her into the mail well before Christmas Eve (my usual shopping day). That was way easier to deal with than is the reason that change was necessary. However, I'm a strong man, and other people have had to endure far greater adversity in their lives. Even knowing this, it's difficult at times to not just feel sorry for myself.

The Pains of Learning ( Newsletter - Issue 296 in June 2000)

When I was in the third grade, a couple of buddies and I were goofing around during math. Mrs. Olson called the three of us up to get hacks. Joe got the first one as Blaine and I awaited our turns. The whack of the paddle across Joe's posterior didn't catch our attention quite as much as her breaking the paddle. When she replaced her paddle two days later, it would have been unjust to spank me. I did my work and kept my mouth shut. By today's standards, this would be considered abusive. It did affect my psyche. All the way into college, I did math during math courses -- all because of the hack that Mrs. Olson didn't give me.

Marketing Bankruptcy (Newsletter: Issue 295 in May 2000)

In the '80s, we began recommending non-obligatory agreements with full disclosure as the way to recover unsecured money in bankruptcy. Hardly anyone listened. Within a few years Voluntary Repayment Agreements (VRAs) started being used. By this time, we were recommending that members who were no significant collection problems be offered retention of their lines of credit in exchange for VRAs. Hardly anyone listened. To date, our Bankruptcy Program clients have recovered hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of dollars using this strategy.

A Price for Charity (April 2000)

Note: This was originally published in Issue 294 of the Newsletter in April 2000.

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The capabilities and limitations of people vary from person to person. Each of us, though, have both, and they change throughout our lives. For example, the lady at the gas pump trying to balance on her one remaining leg* that I helped had no problem pumping her own gas before she lost her leg in an accident. Though she was limited in her ability to stand without some sort of aid, she also has capabilities that other people don't have.

Public Relations in Adverse Situations (Newsletter: June 1999)

This is a reprinting of an article I wrote for the Newsletter, which was a monthly publication of PCCC&C.

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Okay, how many of you like to get complaints?

It sounds like a silly question, but complaints give you the best opportunity to cross-sell services, improve existing services, and create new services! Most people in the industry know this from some past training, but it is worth reiterating.

Just When I Needed It Most (June 1999)

Note: This was originally published in Issue 284 of the Newsletter put out by the family business. This issue was published in June 1999.

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I was feeling stressed. I was behind schedule (as usual) with more things to do than time to do them in (as usual). I pulled up to a red light next to a car with one of those clear decals like many people use to name their college. It read "Your College Sucks!" I chuckled.

Not a mile down the road, I got stopped at another red light. On the corner was a young lady with a sign advertising pizza for $5 each. While I often get a kick out of watching creative people holding these signs, my attention was drawn to two young girls standing on either side of her. They were dressed up like pizza slices, and dancing in circles with great big smiles on their faces. I laughed.