Recession stories:
'I couldn't sleep and couldn't
tell my wife we were broke'
Finally deciding to share the burden
brought huge relief for one man
By Jerome Reilly. Some details have been changed to protect identities
Sunday Independent January 25 2009
He hadn't had a decent night's sleep for months but for those nights when he drank
too much wine and he lapsed into that fitful drunken stupor that does not bring rest.
He awoke each morning still exhausted and with an avalanche of worries.
His business was going down the tubes.
It was a burden he carried on his own shoulders. His wife lying beside him was
blissfully unaware that he was struggling to meet the mortgage payments on their
detached home.
While she got the youngsters off to school and packed her gym bag into the 4x4,
he headed into town to meet his bank manager yet again to plead for another
extension on his overdraft facilities.
In truth, it wasn't the economic downturn that sounded the death knell for his
business but the economic boom.
His flagship retail unit in the centre of a town in the midwest was the cashflow
powerhouse of his fast-growing business interests. But when a brand new
shopping centre opened up on the outskirts of town, a UK multi-national
selling the same products took one of the units.
It was a double whammy. Not only was the town centre dead as locals
flocked to the new mall but the big UK competitor offered more choice
in new surroundings for the teenagers who were the lifeblood of his business.
He could compete on price, just about, but the lure of the new mall proved
irresistible. Turnover declined sharply.
In good times, he had paid over the odds for long-term leases on two other
retail outlets. It was risky but for a while it looked as though it was going to work.
Profits from the two additional stores were low, given the big rents he was
paying, and overheads were getting higher and higher. He couldn't run all
three shops himself but was happy enough with the two managers he had
employed to keep an eye on the counter staff. In all, he had to find wages
for eight people as well as himself.
He was, of course, working hard and playing hard. He invested in a piece
of development property and had the trappings of success. His circle of
friends changed. Now when he drank he was with other businessmen
who shared the same interests. All were hitched to the back of the
Celtic Tiger. If you weren't doing well you kept it to yourself.
Two expensive cars in the driveway, a new house, three young children
and a wife who liked to spend meant that his personal outgoings were
considerable. Then the downturn hit and in a matter of weeks he was
in serious trouble. Only three people knew the full extent of his worries:
himself, his accountant and his bank manager. His flagship store was still
just about profitable but his new shops were dying a death.
Family outgoings were being paid for out of personal savings.
What were once monthly meetings with an assistant bank manager
became near daily contacts by phone with the manager and weekly
face-to-face meetings to discuss his overdraft.
That's when the pressure started to get to him. He used to drink to unwind.
Now he drank to forget. He would never admit he was suicidal but will say
that "perhaps" he was depressed. He could share his worries with no one.
The stress was immense.
His resurrection began one evening as he and his wife had a glass of wine
after a late Sunday lunch and the evening news came on.
The news was all about the economy and the news was all bad.
His wife asked him casually how things were going in the business
and either because he had too much wine on board or he was
simply no longer able to keep up the pretence, it all came out.
In a few short minutes, he told her the truth -- that they were broke
and, worse still, they owed a small fortune.
He cried and then she cried.
"I can't tell you the relief of it -- of sharing the load.
Once my wife knew, it made things easier.
She took it well, better than I had hoped.
I think all along she knew I was struggling but was waiting for me to talk.
She felt that she would just be adding to it by hassling me.
"Of course, women have to talk about problems and
she told her friends and it all came out and my friends learned from their
wives that I was in bother. I don't mind. I never knew so many of us
were in the same boat," he says.
There are no happy endings yet but he is sleeping well enough and
working hard to make the best of a very bad situation.
He thinks he can save one of his stores and his family home if he gets enough time.
- Jerome Reilly Some details have been changed to protect identities
##########################################
I would have been able to help him out, as this is what I do for a living,
where I help people who want to improve their income by working at
least Part Time from Home as part of the
Celtic Warriors Great Profits Dream Team.
Gerry Melanephy,
CelticWarriors@eircom.net,
Mobile 00353872237086,
Office 00353719300400.
-- Ps Hey , have you seen this new training site for home business owners yet? The videos are really good. http://greatprofits.magneticsponsoringonline.com/ Best wishes, Gerry Melanephy 00353872237086 <>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<><>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<> I know when you begin to listen, people want you in their life and New relationships begin, friendships grow and partnerships develop, helping others with their health, personal development and wealth! Teaching people how to have more time for fishing, no matter what their "fishing" is, in a way that honours their values. The greatest thing about our business is... The Incredible Freedom... Fun... And The Money! How Sweet It Is.... Bob... I have learned so much about myself, the people around me, and what I truly want in my life.... Arelene... Life is so much more fun when you are in control of your time and having freedom to enjoy your own personal growth! Gail... Can you see why I always say... *Champions make Decisions and Decisions Make Champions*! Winner's Take Action! I Believe You are a Winner! (Do You?) You chat with me on any of these u4wealth on Yahoo messenger greatprofits on Skype UrTopCoach on MSN Chat Millionaire Makers ON ICQ <>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<> "Is the process that you're presently using to talk with people achieving the LONG TERM results you're looking for?" Precise questions get precise answers… it's all a matter of working out how to get there. 'How to Network Without Fear, Anxiety or Losing Your Friends!' - Selling from the Soul. Ancient Wisdoms. Modern Practice. Discover how to automatically draw people to you and significantly increase your profits. email <i>mentor4success@eircom.net<i/a> or you may call Ger today 00353 87-2237086 you can catch up with me on http://www.skype.com/ that's how you can talk to your friends anywhere for free and you talk to me by typing in greatprofits in the search for Skype and see and hear your friends and we know your best friend would love to check this out and you may pass this to your friend... <>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<> . . . . PPPs This is life changing if you really realise how little you have left, have a watch of this powerfull video and see how lucky you are to have access to this project that I am working on and I will share it with you, so you will have the opportunity to change other people's lives http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8577255250907450469&hl=en-GB Gerry ########### yes it's in the numbers, what is left in your tank.... . . . .
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