Making it
I don’t know how other people define “Making It” but I’m sure it’s as subjective a feeling as anything else. I’m not sure I’ve hit my peak, either…but I just had one of those moments that reassure me things ARE better than they used to be.
When I first came to work at KMJ I was Chris Daniel’s phone screener. As you can imagine that’s not a high-paying position. I knew the job was a first step to more, but my first few months on the KMJ payroll were hourly and very, very part-time.
That step was 100% worth it, but I had to find supplemental income elsewhere. If you joined me in the Construction Exodus of 2007/2008 you may remember the feeling of pinching every penny…and still skidding into payday like a man tripping into a desert oasis.
And a little ritual started. Skip Essick would come around twice a month with the paychecks. Usually he would hand me both my envelope and Chris’ knowing I’d make the hand-off when we inevitably got closer to showtime. And every payday Chris would say “Oh…again, already?!?” as if he didn’t know damn well another check had been direct deposited into his account a day or so prior.
He was teasing me because he knew I was always thinking about money in those days. And to be crystal clear: it was in good humor. Chris has done more to grow my paycheck than anyone else in my life. But real friends bust balls…and that’s what he did.
And sometimes I grumbled and sometimes I laughed…but I almost always said “Must be nice…f***er.” And that almost always got a laugh out of him.
We both knew I’d get back to not sweating payday…and I did, and it was earlier than I expected, too. But like the agita I still get when a credit card terminal takes a little too long to say “Approved” I still reflect on those exchanges. I feel gratitude for a job I love and for the friend who ushered me to a place where it was possible.
And to be crystal clear again: I still know when pay day is coming. I still check my accounts and review my check stubs when I get up that day. Thankfully, the ritual is now a matter of confirmations…the balance stays in the black month after month, but I don’t take my eyes off the bottom line.
However, there’s a piece of the money puzzle that’s not quite clockwork: Expense Reports!
Every month I submit receipts for some software and some subscriptions and sometimes a piece of equipment or a case of bottled water. It’s not a big deal: about $65 worth of credit card charges for little stuff that makes my job easier. Honestly, I’d still pay for half of it even if the company didn’t compensate me.
But they do, and - again - I am grateful. There was a time in my life when losing $65 would have been a crisis.
When I sent off my July Expense Report I noticed my previous invoice might not have been paid yet. I sent a note to my boss asking if the business office could tell me if they had a “paid” date I could use to confirm the transaction. The business office got back to me right away:
Not only was last month’s unpaid…it had been three months!
Why? Because: 2021. They asked me to resend the unpaid invoices and knowing our team I’ll see that money in my account in a few days. No muss, no fuss. Here is my “Made It” moment: I didn’t catch the omission. Or at least the WHOLE omission.
A life-changing sum? Goodness, no! Less than $200 altogether. Yes, I’m glad we caught it. I would have eventually realized the mistake because I do keep copies of my Expense Reports to check against my deposits…but when the business office informed me of the situation I realized it was my own little tiny “Oh, money…again?” moment.
$200 still means something to me. It’s not a disposable sum. But the idea that I could go months without noticing its absence is something I do not take for granted.
I’m sure there will be times in my life when once again I’m required to count every penny and when I will marvel at the idea that I could have ever left money on the table through my own inattention. I think I’m going to take that money and donate it to a worthy cause just to show my gratitude to have been able to miss it in the first place.
I guess if there’s a point for me it’s a reminder to:
Check your open accounts receivable. If someone owes you money it’s on you to politely remind them.
Look at your accounts and make sure you’re only spending money you intended to spend: if there’s a subscription, membership, or recurring charge that’s not familiar or no longer useful KILL IT.
If you’re realizing you have the same luxury, find a charity doing something you like and flip some of that largesse their way. Odds are they’ll improve your karma by association.
If a friend owes you money examine the friendship and maybe just forget the debt. But if it’s a deadbeat ex who owes you the money never let that shit go. I want my $2,425 even if she has to sell a kidney.
I hope everyone who takes the time to read these stories finds a forgotten $20 in a pocket. Cheers!