On Being Finally Free

Happy Fools Day!

Man, that sounds a hot mess. Who came up with April Fool's Day?

There will be plenty of pranks pulled today. Some good, some bad.

I'm gonna celebrate the day in a different way.

Like I said, I had a FANTASTIC weekend. Please realize that "fantastic" to me is not at considered fantastic to others. If you know anything about me, I absolutely loathe being in sync with what's popular with the crowd.

One of my activities this weekend was attending my monthly Triple F Possee meeting. That's our nickname for our group, The Financial Freedom Fighters.

It's not an investment group. It is simply a group of ladies getting together and talking about their finances. We look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of what we did that month, and we openly share ideas and personal goals.

This month's meeting was at Ray-Rays house. She lives waaaaay out in the country. I mean, I have to pass farms and cows to get to her house. I live in a downtown inner city neighborhood, and I am usually no more than 20 minutes from everything, but the jaunt to her house is at least 40 minutes. (Pack a lunch and some good music to get to Ray Rays house, lol).

Our meetings are usually refreshment free. I bring chocolate chip cookies (only if someone reminds me).

But Ray-Ray is an entertainer, and she had refreshments:

Popcorn and Kool Aid!

I'm allergic to Kool-Aid. (This completely confuses black folks). But it usually makes me break out.

I hadn't had any in years. But Ray-Ray had the good kind, the RED flavored one, with lemons cut up in it! So I decide to have some. (And my eye swole up later that night, like someone had socked me, lol. But it was worth it!)

Ray-Ray's son Eric kept walking through.

Of course, he had to deal with my scolding and harrasment. I did not care for the shiny shirt and hustler hat he had on. ("Boy, you got a rap gig tonight or something?"), and I didn't like him quietly walking through while we had our meeting. (Dude, you betta knock on the door when you come in this house!")

This is also a time when I get a TON of crocheting done. I am currently working on baby blankets.


This one is for my group secretary. She's been hounding me about seeing it. That's as much of a glimpse as you're going to get, Shon... You have to wait for it!

The core of our financial discussions surrounds the Dave Ramsey plan. We watched a good video of his concerning making and planning budgets.

But I was happy to tell the sistas something that I didn't think I would be able to tell them for at least another couple of years.

This month, I will be debt-free, minus the house.

It was the first time that I felt like I had contributed something to the group. Some good news.

I'm usually a bit surly during meetings as of late.

"Listen, ain't nothin' happenin' right now. I'm gonna be faithful and sincere and pay my bills. THAT'S IT!"

I get really bad with the "I don't want to talk about it, Man!!"

I am glad that they ignored my mini rants and allowed me to stay in the group. I think I was gonna even sit out of the group this year, but my leader, The Green Eyed Bandit (dang lurker), wasn't having it.

I guess it's like trying to get out of a street gang. Not gonna happen.

My biggest issue has been what plagues my life in many different areas: My being very angry with myself.

I was just mad, man. I got hit with a big tax bill, from some mess from 10 years ago, back in October. I had to pay 500 bucks for a new toilet because I'd dropped an ink pen into the old one. Looked like I was working hard, paying things off for NO reason at all. Just mad, man.

I wanted to make contributions to the group. I wanted to have success stories like my fellow fighters. I just felt like I wasn't making a contribution. So why be there?

I had to go back to my old adage: Words are everything.

Hearing the words of my sistas, their talk of fighting to be financially free, the things that went bad that month and how they would correct the actions...

There's an interesting piece of scripture I like: "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

Well, I've found that I can extrapolate that out to other parts of my life.

My faith is increased by whatever I'm hearing.

And you know this is true. we see it every day. You see it all over blogland. From natural hair, to working out, to eating right, to goal setting.

I needed to hear and read words. Words that increased my faith.

The more I hear debt-free, the more I can believe in being debt free. We've already had one sista hit it, and another is slated to be there in June... So I can believe it is possible.

And that time is here. I only owe about 120 bucks right now, and I haven't paid that because I am actually waiting on the bills to come in the mail. I have one bill now, and I think I will just call to see how much the other is for. I REALLY don't want to overpay.

So I will let this day, April Fools day, be a day that I become debt free.

A day I do something good for myself.

So thanks, Triple F Possee, for letting this Oldgirl sit in meetings and mean mug and crochet furiously.

Know that in all my ranting, I was listening to your words, working out things in my head.

I can now go on to reach other goals the group has been working on.

And I gladly drink a glass of Kool-Aid to that!!