The Way I See It

The way I see it, if we were to focus on how many persons owe us money, our stress levels will go up and in the worst case scenario, we can literally lose our minds.
I am now of the firm view, that most persons when they employ your services and you would have completed the task required, they really do not and probably never had the intention to pay the required amount.
I had another incident this week:
A gentleman requested of me to take him to the pier to catch an early morning boat. In other words, to do a TAXI run.
Understandably, it would have been really difficult to catch a regular passenger bus that early on a Sunday morning.
When he called that morning, I unwillingly dragged myself away from my warm bed and the luxury of watching a world cup Cricket match and drove him to the pier.
He asked me how much and I told him that I could not charge him the regular taxi rate, so just pay me ‘something.’
He responded that he will require my services within a next two hours, as he was only going to St. Kitts to collect something and return. He said he would not only call me but give me ‘something’ for the two trips.
Fair enough.
Fortunately, I got engrossed in my chores at home and forgot all about him and by the way, not getting the promised call.
Later in the day, I remembered and checked to see if by chance I had missed his call and saw no missed call from him.
Then it occurred to me. The man said he would call me and as far as I know, he does not even know my number.
Well I newa!
Anyway, during the course of the following day- Monday, he arrived by my gate and stutteringly apologized, explaining that he got ‘caught up’ and stayed much longer than expected.
So what about my cash?
Oh, he will check me the next day.
Fair enough.
I did not see him the next day.
On Wednesday, my wife was doing some work in the yard and he was hustling past but apparently realized that she had seen him, so he paused long enough to render this classic:
‘I came with the money but nobody was home but a little later I pass you all playing Cricket up Hard Times.’
Now I was not the brightest in my class at Primary School, but if you pass by my home and you had some money for me and I am not home but shortly after, you pass me up Hard Times, then why not call me and give me the money then?
You get me reader?
I know some wise crack or other will say: ‘Maybe the man did not want to disturb you from your cricket?’
Well he already disturbed me from my Cricket the Sunday morning!
Then okay, so you are now telling my wife that you did not call us at Hard Times, well what about NOW?
Oh, he is ‘running late for work.’
He is running so late for work, that he cannot put his hand in his pocket and pass the money!
I am sure that you have already correctly concluded that I have not see him since that day!
What will I do?
Just add him to the growing list of persons who owe me.
It also occurred to me that if all the persons who ever promised to repay me for loans or services rendered, were to pay me 1/10th of the amount owed, I could be a virtual millionaire.
I remember writing a song for a guy some years ago and as my custom was, I did not charge him. I told him that he could give me ‘something’ based on his success/ rewards.
He did okay and told me that he had $250.00 for me. Well, weeks passed and then one day, he told me that he was going to the bank to cash a cheque and he will get back to me.
Well, it is either that the bank moved, so he aint reach as yet; the cheque bounced or there was some other strange occurrence, because he did not come back where he left me that day and I have seen him and conversed with him numerous times after that, but never a mention of the $250.00
Dear reader do you believe that in cases like that, people actually are thinking that they did clear their debt? Can people actually be so forgetful—or is the word DELIBERATE?
I think I told you before of this guy who in desperation, borrowed $500.00 from me, to assist with his wedding expenses.
He apparently forgot to invite me to the wedding and when he was celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary, he again forgot to invite me and the debt was never paid.
Well I newa!
So, I have learnt the hard way that you NEVER loan any money that you cannot afford to do without and you never render any service, without the knowledge that you may never get paid, or you may go crazy!
People are even trying to trick God, so who am I?
A nice Christian fella told me once, that he was going to take a loan at Scotia, but that he had no intentions of paying it off, because Jesus will come before!
So dear reader, on a sobering note: Do not borrow anything that you have no intentions of repaying and if you honestly have the intentions to repay and something prevents you from doing so, go and explain to the person who loaned you and see what arrangements can be worked out.
It is best to go the honest way-ALWAYS.
That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?