Will Work for Fines: When Library Books Bankrupt The Family

 

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At this rate, it might be better to just buy the books!

Raise your hand if you have children.  If your kids are 20 and above, you are off the hook.  Put your hand down, kneel and give thanks.  If your kids are under the age of 16, keep them raised.  If they like to read raise both hands.  If you have managed to get the books they like to read from the library instead of the bookstore, keep one hand raised, and pat your back with the other hand.  You are an awesome parent! Bravo!  You can sit down.

mariana-vusiatytska-174679Feeling pretty good aren’t you?  You understand the value of borrowing instead of buying!  You are green!  You are saving the planet!  Unfortunately you are also broke, one step away from losing your home because of the fines.  One mom told me she recently paid $85 for one overdue book.  Why didn’t she just buy the book?  She did.  She paid for a replacement,  but then the book filed for lost wages in court and won.  Seems that since no one could read it for 6 months, damages needed to be paid!

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Your last fine cost WHAT?!

Imagine my dismay when my dear hubby sent a text to me stating that our latest bill was $41!  I could have sworn I put all those books in a slot someplace.  All the libraries in the county advertise:  “Any branch will do.  Drop your books at any library convenient for you.”  Well I did that!  How am I supposed to know where all the county lines are?

It once seemed like such a great idea to use the local public library, but now with all the fines, and the looming threat of bankruptcy and all, what’s a positive mom to do?  Encourage video game playing and TV watching and Snapchatting®?  Search for debt consolidation infomercials?  Find the best credit counselor in the land?  Pack the family up, and move back home with your parents?  Nope on all counts.

All you have to do is join the club.  We are a very supportive group and membership is free; we know you already spent your last dime on fines.

Take The Oath

  1. I promise to borrow only enough books that can be read in the super short, ridiculously, annoying time that is allowed by the library.
  2. I promise to put all the books in the same place each and every evening.
  3. I promise to never have my children read their favorite book while in the tub.
  4. I promise to never allow my children to drink a delicious, pumpkin spice latte with extra foam and cinnamon, caramel drizzle while reading a mystery…(oh no wait…that one is for me).
  5. I promise to never avoid returning the 7 books we have because of the 1 book  we cannot find.
  6. I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth when the librarian asks me the whereabouts of any said overdue book:  “No ma’am.  I’m sorry ma’am.  I have no idea, ma’am.”
  7. I promise to put each finished book in the trunk of the car so I can drop it in the drive thru slot.
  8. I promise to place only books that are on time in the drive through slot.
  9. I promise to remember that there is a drive thru slot.  And lastly . . .
  10. I promise before all internet onlookers,  librarians and random book-shelvers alike, to bring my credit card, loan papers and the kids drained college fund to the library to pay for the outstanding fines.

 

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Stop trying to remember!  Write it down!

Jokes aside, having a family calendar helps when everyone needs to be on the same page.  You can choose a physical paper or whiteboard option placed in a conspicuous place for all to see. Or you can create a shared cloud option and place all common due dates, appointments with progressive alerts.

 

 

Being a parent of voracious readers is a blessing.  It helps our kids do better in school, have an increased thirst for knowledge and have incredible vocabularies.  And even if those vocabularies are so often pulled out and used against us, it’s wonderful to know they will be smart enough to find a great job and take care of us when we lose the house in exchange for all the fines!

Chatone Morrison ©2017

No…I don’t do stand up!  I’m actually a life and confidence coach for women.  I love helping them to release negativity so their positivity can reign.  Ready to get your positive energy in check?  Looking to clean up your self-talk, create a personal affirmation plan or ease your way into releasing your negativity?  Complete the questionnaire for a free coaching strategy session.

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Do You Love The First Day of Summer, Too?

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Going 100 East, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Today was a near perfect day in Maryland.  The sun has been high and glistening, adding a slight warmth to the skin but not a burn, the occasional wind has rustled the trees in the yard, even the bumblebees hummed a bit louder it seemed.  Well, maybe just to me.  

Yes!  I am that girl.  The year begins and ends for me on the first day of Summer.  I always wished my name was Summer.  There was that one girl I knew growing up and…oops, already digressing away from my point.  THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER! #FDOS

I can remember staying outside so late and waiting for the sun to finally go down.  It was precious as the pink and amber head of glory slipped behind the range of Orange mountains near my family home in New Jersey.  Shoes were optional, double dutch and hopscotch were desirable and ice-cream from the neighborhood truck “Eskie’s” was mandatory.  

So tonight I grabbed a handful of my best memories to sprinkle on my kids and we rode up the highway, windows down, breezes flowing in, talking and laughing.  As we headed east through the county, the weather threatened disagreement with my plan, and the raindrops began to fall light and steady in nearly transparent sheets, like the beads we hung from our doors to separate us from the outside world and create a false sense of privacy.  The sky behind us was brilliant, gorgeous, shiny and bright.  And I tossed the memory of riding on Route 280 in West Orange, 32 years ago in my red 1978 Ford Pinto, so low to the ground I felt like I need to use my heels to break, like Fred Flintstone.  On that “First Day of Summer”, the sky behind my head was so utterly gorgeous that it nearly devastated me. Literally!  I kept turning around to peek at it.  I was so afraid that I would miss out on its beauty – like it might never happen again.  I stared hard over my right shoulder until I lost my focus and had to drive the rest of the way home with  those huge spots blurring my vision.

Today with the sun and rain coming at the same time, I have the wisdom that keeping my eyes on the road, my heart and mind in the present, and my memories in the past, but close enough to fondle, is the best plan of action. So I kept my eyes straight ahead and bounced my childhood onto my kids in the back seat.  They laughed.  Asked questions.  Were genuinely interested, or at least acted like it.  

Just as the rain stopped, and the sun was beginning to stream through the dark clouds, I reminded them about the wonderful Rainbow promise that God made, and told them to look for the rainbow.  Like clockwork, it appeared (pictured above)  We clapped and snapped and a new #FDOS memory was made.

Special moments surround us every single day.  Many of our great days and best memories are behind us.  The tendency to constantly peep over our shoulders to look for them is strong.  But don’t miss the rainbow looking for the sunshine at your back.  Allow the best parts of your past experiences to warm you, and keep looking forward for the miracles that are waiting.

Happy First Day of Summer!

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Chatone Morrison                   Certified Professional Coach   ChatoneMorrison.com

 

 

 

 

Ready to get your positive energy back in check?  Looking to clean up your self-talk, create a personal affirmation plan or ease your way into releasing your negativity so your positivity can reign?  Complete the questionnaire for a free coaching strategy session.

 

=======================================================================

Don’t Miss The Weekly Sunday Corner Show on YouTube:  Bit.ly/ChatoneYT

Coaching Website:  ChatoneMorrison.com

Facebook:

@chatonemorrisonconsulting

@princessofpositivity

@chatonemorrisonMK

Instagram:  @realprincessofpositivity

Periscope/Pinterest/Twitter:  ChatoneMorrison

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