A Stubborn Old Woman

Those days, I did not have any long range plans. 

I did not ask myself where I wanted to be, in five years? in ten years? or in twenty years?

I did not set goals as to how much money I wanted to make that year? How much more in later years? Or, how many properties I needed to sell in order to meet my goals?

I simply went ahead, one day at a time, trying to do what I could. I was still learning the ropes.
I still had much of a housewife mentality then.
Besides, to tell you the truth, I did not have very high expectations for myself at that time.
I was happy that I was doing better than being a clerical worker on the campus. 
And I did like my new job. 
I liked people,
    enjoyed all the challenges,
    and loved selling Real Estate. 
I merrily went along one day at a time . . .

It took one earth-shaking event to wake me up.

Fourteen months after I worked as an Associate, I had my Broker's License. 
Then some months later, I had the opportunity of buying an existing Real Estate office for practically nothing. 
So, for $900 I bought a not-so-great "blue sky," some run-down furniture, and a dozen or so beat-up signs. The office did come with six associates, though only two of them actually mattered.
(Later, one of my sage mentor told me that I should have used my own name for the company. Too late! I was merely thinking about saving money by using the existing name of the company, in order not having to buy new signs.  How ignorant I was! I merely concentrated on the fact that I only had to put my name as Broker on the front window - I did the lettering myself, one Saturday morning. We did not bother with Letterheads and such until later.)

I had about two thousand dollars to spend. 
So I thought that I would take the chance of operating an office on my own - I believed I had learned enough for the job. (At that time, I was running my Broker's office - doing his closing statements, doing the closings for him, keeping his books . . . )

I had enough money for rents and utility bills. (Rent was only seventy-five dollars a month, and utility bills were minimal, since the tiny office did not have central air-conditioning. No windows either. But I made it pleasant and cheery with live plants and my own personal touches. We kept the front door open most of the time, for fresh air.) 
I did need money for advertising - that was my biggest expense. 
I would be my own secretary, bookkeeper, and janitor. 
Three hundred dollars a month would take care of all the bills, with a bit left over for incidentals. 
I could last five or six months even if I did not make any sales for that period.
If I could not make it in that period of time, I would close shop and work for some other broker. 
Some of the Brokers in town had been asking me to work for them before.

All I had to lose was my Two Thousand Dollars.
I was not worried about "losing face." 
In my heart, I did not plan to lose.

 A very wise Friend had said to me that I was very lucky that I had the Chance to do this, because my husband was taking care of our bills at home.
"How many people had this kind of opportunity, Loretta? Go for it!" he said.
So I did.

Then, something happened!

Life throws you a curve ball when you least expect it.

Along with several others at the Lab, my husband was going to lose his job. There was to be a RIFT - reduction in force in the near future.

Myth #?  True or False.
Government jobs were secure. 
The answer is - "False."

My husband was devastated. He also thought I was going to leave him. He forgot that I was a Dragon - Royalty was the dragon's name. I told him in no uncertain terms that I would not leave him just because he was going to lose his job. 
It was not his fault. 
But if he was fooling around, then, that would be grounds for divorce. 

I was confident that he was able to find another job.

The only worry would be "having to move again," since I just started my own office. Besides, it would be hard on our two teenagers. Our oldest one was at Indiana University already. 
Or, would we have to have a long-distance marriage?

In the meantime, word got around town that S.C. was losing his job. 
We were not without his paychecks yet, but people started to treat us differently.

I also received a phone call from a woman, telling me that she was in the market for a diamond. Would I know someone who might want to sell one? She even described the size and such - the exact description of a ring that I had been wearing all my life.

What do you think of that?

I was far from being penniless at that time. 
I knew that I just started my own business. My future was not certain. And S.C.'s job would be terminated in a few months . . .
But-
HOW DARE SHE ? ? ? 
What nerve?

I was Mad!

So, I decided that I was going to Show Her and the Others!
I decided that I would make it in this world and I would be Financially Independent. 
I would not need any one's pity or help. 
I would do all I possibly could to achieve this Goal!

My husband did find a job inside the EPA. Though he was to be under the Regional office, he still worked at the Lab in Ada.

I started setting Goals!
I poured all my energy into learning all I could to meet my goals.
I worked long hours and worked hard.
I also tried to learn how to manage my finances and how to work smarter.
I started to concentrate on meeting my Goals! 
I stopped Playing - no more Ladies' Clubs, no vacations, no more sewing, no wasting time on anything . . . except Work. 
It was not an easy journey. But I kept at it.

I told you I was a stubborn old woman, didn't I?