Bad Credit =Thief: Does Your Past Really Equal Your Future?
Author: ophelia | Category: Law of AttractionI was reading Debra Moorhead’s blog and it left me compelled to speak on it. Her post is called ‘The Most Compelling Reason to Keep your Credit Clean’ and in her post she talks about not hiring some people based on their credit and that the fact that they didn’t pay their bills meant they were THIEFS. Usually I just float around the blogosphere reading and not saying anything unless I feel I really have something to say but this post not only left me with lots of words but it also left me in tears. I felt I had to talk about it and called Shauna up and believe me the words I had to say were not of a pleasant nature. It is great to have a friend that you can call up in the flurry of tears and anger so they can tell you to calm the hell down.
I imagine if I am upset about her posts that on some level there are issues to address and so I wanted to address the issues here. She hired a mom to clean her husband’s Dr’s Office and this lady had acceptable credit and asked if her daughter could work as well. Apparently they started the cleaning job during the time when she waited for the daughter’s credit to come back. She realized this lady had horrible credit and terminated the employment – in Debra’s own words “I was not able to hire the two women. And it was a shame, too, because they were probably the best service I’d had in quite some time. I could tell that they really wanted (and probably needed) the work”.
Apparently like a lot of people Mrs. Moorhead is using credit to make judgements of character: Good credit equals Honest, Poor credit equals Thief. Mrs. Moorhead goes on to say “If you walk out of a doctor’s office without paying your bill, it is exactly the same as walking into Wal-Mart and stealing goods. (Yes, it is okay if you have an account set up where you pay monthly, etc. – please don’t get too literal on me here.) The point is, if you take the attitude of, “The big rich doctor doesn’t need my money,” you’re a thief. Pure and simple. I know that sounds harsh, but it is the truth.”
I’m here to tell you today that the fact that a credit card company won’t give you a credit card does not equal your worth, and does not label you a Thief. Back to the situation because I have quite a few words for that but wanted to get her post out there.
But have heart my fellow readers because in case you didn’t know – based on her judgement you probably are a thief. If you my dear friend cannot qualify for a credit card, never fear because you have a new label – THIEF. “I recently learned that 79% of the American population cannot qualify for a credit card. Seventy-nine percent! You cannot convince me that 79% of Americans are in dire circumstances. Seventy-nine percent have mismanaged their funds, and their thinking. Seventy-nine percent, probably unknowingly, are thieves.”
BUT WAIT it gets better because for those who fall in the thief category (79% of population – don’t worry you may just be one of them) and are ready to make amends – she has tips available for you. For the people who don’t think they should be labelled thief based on whether a credit card company will stamp the word approve on your forehead let me continue my ranting.
My question to Mrs. Moorhead is this: Did you ever think maybe this lady needed a JOB to fix her credit? Maybe she would have used the cleaning job where you paid her to get her credit clean. Did it occur to you that she may not be fixing her credit because she had no money? After all you said she NEEDED the job and really wanted it too.
This blog post pulled up my past experience and I believe that’s what made it more hurtful. Quite a few years ago I was going through one of the worst times of my life. Yeah I attracted it but we aren’t talking about that right now. Anyway before this hard time I had credit in the top percentile of the country – I should know as I worked in the mortgage industry for several years. I had at the time high 700 scores and boy did I flaunt it – yes I did the whole flashing my Titanium card 
. Yes they make Titanium. I paid my bills on time, all the time. I also brought a bit of arrogance with this and couldn’t quite understand why these people’s credit sucked. How could they not afford to pay bills? How could they have such horrible credit? Why did they not care about their credit? I was very removed from cries of hard times and felt people just didn’t care much about their credit.
I became pregnant and at 6 months pregnant got fired from my job. What was I going to do? No one would hire me, at least not at almost 7 months pregnant. No support system, no husband. So now I’m expecting a child with no income and a mountain of bills. I was living well within my means according to her instructions – ‘Live within your means’ – Well I was – till I got fired. My savings went quickly and I was determined to find a job the moment I could get that baby out. My plans were derailed as I suffered a separated pelvis having the baby, needing physical therapy to even walk.
The moment I wasn’t in horrible pain, I started applying for jobs. But low and behold the morning I had an interview, my car got repossessed. I went to that interview that morning trying to hold back the tears in my eyes – anything to get a job. I needed the money – I had a child to feed. They hired me on the basis that they had to do a full credit check. I was glad just to get a paycheck – anything to help make things a little more bearable for the moment. I worked for that job for 6 months, during which other people came and they turned into full employees. They never did this with me (offered me full-time permanent work). I was so hurt because I did an excellent job. My credit said nothing about the person I was, the person I was meant to be, but they didn’t really care unless I lived up to a certain standard. They refused me full time employment and health insurance for my child; I didn’t fit into their mold. They never bothered to inquire why – it was of no importance because my credit report said all there was to know about me, didn’t it?…
That job however – even the hours that they afforded me did allow me to buy food for me and my child and it did allow me to get my car back even though I had to borrow most of the money. But what if no one had hired me based on my credit? What if no one had hired me based on what they assumed my credit said about me? They never got to see the high 700′s and the times when credit card companies were jumping through hoops to get me to say yes to them.
I struggled at that job – I would get paid and have to borrow money to go to work the next day – not because I had no money management, but because I was loaded under a pile of bills and digging but the hole seemed to not get better…the pile kept piling on. Luckily for me, I had been good at making future plans and while I had great credit had bought numerous rental properties. I sold one of my rental properties and used it to pay back EVERY SINGLE DIME owed to anyone. My old friend used to say to me, ’You are lucky. Most people don’t have rental properties they could sell and get out of a bad situation. Most people only have the one they live in.’
Even for a while after paying off all my debts – and believe me when I say I didn’t wait; I got the money from selling my rental and within a day I had called everyone and paid them off – but even for a while I didn’t want to look at my credit – I felt so ashamed of it. I felt so unworthy because no one would give me a credit card if my life depended on it. I felt like I had done something wrong and I can imagine how that lady feels for not getting a job based on some criteria meant to judge 300 million people based on one method. Okay people with good credit – step to the left. People with bad credit – move over to the right – you are in the thief line. I tell you what – you judge rentals based on people with credit – I have had numerous tenants over the years and I can say with deep conviction that the best tenant I’ve ever had HAD THE WORST CREDIT I’VE EVER SEEN. I took a chance on her, and she never disappointed me and she was with me for 2 years and she left to purchase her own home. She gave me notice 6 months ahead of time and paid me 6 months in advance. But she was a thief too I guess, right Mrs. Moorhead?
Your past doesn’t equal your future. Don’t people deserve a second chance? This post may have touched on my pent up feelings of self worth based on what my credit looked like, based on the fact that people didn’t hire me because of it, self worth because when I needed money no one would give it to me.
They do not teach money in school. Yes a lot of people mismanage their finances – not because they are thieves waiting to rob your office or home but because they don’t know how to properly take care of it. And once someone goes through a hard time most people give up and say forget it because it’s ruined anyway. If you are one of these people, take heart: your past does not equal your future. Isn’t that the basis of Law of Attraction? Even if you attracted it yesterday doesn’t mean you have to do it today. Even if you lived it yesterday doesn’t mean you can’t turn it around. Even if you are living it at this very moment – IT GETS BETTER.
Does the past determine character or do you? Does my credit equal me to be labelled as a thief without knowing me – without knowing my life? It is obvious for Mrs. Moorhead to make such statements of judgement means she has not experienced hard times. What is Law of Attraction if you put a judgement on me based on my past actions? Do we not have every new moment to make things right? So you left your credit for 5 years unfixed. Do you not have this moment to change things? Does your past equal your future? Do we judge people based on our own standards without knowing anything about them or their lives? Do we judge them based on some national standard just like we do beauty? Does this mean I’m ugly because I’m not a size 0 and easily blown away by the wind? Does this mean I’m a thief if Capital One won’t give me a piece of plastic? Does that show who I really am – does that prove my self worth?
Maybe Mrs. Moorhead attracted someone to clean her husband’s office beautifully. Isn’t that what you asked the Universe for? Isn’t that what you got? You label these women thieves based on a credit report not on character. Hey but it’s not just the ladies – it’s anyone without a stamp from the GODS of credit card allowing you to have one (sure hope you aren’t in that 79% of thieves running around – I wonder if Mrs. Moorhead is afraid to sleep at nights with all the thieves in the country – Oh wait they are unknowingly thieves – I bet they know now.)
May 12th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
This is a powerful post. I am glad you had the courage to share you story to expose the challenges that extreme forms of judgment have. Credit is a false measure of a person, there are multiple reasons for bad credit as there are for good, and it is a false measurement to start with. The things that measure credit do not measure integrity (they often measure circumstance). You also bring up an opportunity for all of us to examine the feelings this post engenders within each of us. Are we in arrogant judgment because we have good credit or having issues of self worth because we have bad credit. Or in the highest level of being… forgiveness for all of it? Thanks again for stirring this important pot.
May 12th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
AMEN!
I had read some of Mrs. Moorehead’s postings earlier, and could agree at places – but for this one she is way off base.
I once worked with a wonderful lady who, several years beforehand, had run up a humongous credit card bill because that was all she and her little children had to live on when her husband left them without warning. She and her current husband were having medical problems and so on and so forth – and I have met, worked with and been friends with many others like her.
For her sake, I hope Mrs. Moorehead never gets knocked off the high pedestal she’s put herself on. One of the main aspects of the Law of Attraction is being grateful for what you have and what you have had. She needs to remember that in different circumstances – the lady and her daughter could easily be her.
Her attitude seems to me to be the “I’m grateful that I’ve got mine, to heck with the rest of you,” version instead of “I’m grateful that lady and/or her daughter are not me – but they could have been or might be. They are people, just like I am.”
She may be likely to find that she is creating her own downfall.
May 12th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Great Post! As someone who has been through things beyond my control, I get exactly where you are coming from. The whole system is a game that is virtually impossible for most people to win anyway.
May 13th, 2007 at 4:45 am
The unfortunate aspect about this whole situation is that Mrs. Moorehead isn’t the only one who thinks from a skewed perspective. I had to deal with creditors that acted exactly like this when I was an administrator in the military (and I retired in 1998). Still, it shocks me to hear that this attitude is still prevalent in today’s society.
May 13th, 2007 at 4:57 am
[...] There is a very long and painful article I recommend as reading material when you’re not real busy. I read “Bad Credit = Thief: Does Your Past Really Equal Your Future?” at Law of Attraction and I was moved by it. That doesn’t happen often. [...]
May 14th, 2007 at 8:53 am
It is obvious that none of you have ever been on the receiving end of this, or had the responsibility that small business owners face. If you did, you would have a different perspective, I guarantee it. It is only “skewed” because there are so few of us and so many of you.
Go ahead – rip ME to shreds like you did Ms. Moorhead if you like. I won’t be back to this website.
May 14th, 2007 at 9:17 am
Hello Rhonda,
Thanks for your response the post. Noone is here to rip you to shreds and just like Mrs.Moorhead gave her point of view-I was free to give mine also.
In case it wasn’t obvious as most blogs are just diaries- We actually own the buisness behind the blog as well as hundreds of websites and so we do have the responsibility of small buisness owners as well.
My biggest problem with Mrs. Moorhead as I stated was the fact that she put a LABEL on everyone with bad credit and that label was one of THIEF!
Thank you for your comment.
P.S. And unlike Mrs. Moorhead we don’t delete comments because they offer a diffrent viewpoint and we want our viewers to think noone disagrees with us- As long as it’s not spam your comment is allowed because our viewpoint isn’t the only one out there.
May 14th, 2007 at 9:25 am
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for you comment- Glad it provoked thoughts and it really is a chance for us to examine how we view ourselves and our self worth based on some national average. We are really here to empower people not add to the shame that they already feel in thier lives.
Theresa,
Thanks for your comments- Keep them coming. We wish Mrs. Moorhead great success in finding someone who fits within her criteria
Content Black Woman
I loved reading your blog the other day- I’ll definately revisit soon. Thanks for the comment
RT Cunningham
Thanks for your comments- It really is something to experience intense judgement first hand. Unfortunately these judgments won’t change just because I write a blog post.
May 14th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
I kind of wish Rhonda would have had the courage and the ability to explore herself and stuck around – the conversations would have been interesting. Not only because I think her answer is a textbook example of the “all or nothing” argument, but this afternoon, way before I read it, I was frustrated and down and griping with the same “all or nothing” viewpoint. Guess I attracted a mirror for a short time for a reason, if only so I’d look at myself.
I admire your answer to her, Ophelia. Grace under pressure is always an admirable asset.
I read something the other day that applies here and ties in with the “people change” posts – work, life, it’s a game; nothing is ever set in stone. Someone can have lousy credit and had some trouble with the law, and be the best worker you have ever had – not me, but I know someone like that. Someone else can come with stellar references and be the worst employee/person you have ever had to deal with, because their current employer wants to get rid of them; I have not seen that happen, but have heard of it.
Even a good employee can not meet your expectations or the job needs and need to be let go. Or they can surprise you by resigning, so on and so forth.
Also consider all the differences of opinion people have on so many things – for example, do you write all your jobs on your resume and possibly get it tossed sight unseen for being too long, or hit some highlights so it will be one page, and be prepared to discuss in the interviews?
There are a myriad of possibilities and they change from moment to moment. We’re all trying to find the slots we fit in at this moment, in the next moment or minute or hour or year we might not.
But trying to deal with all this consciously is confusing and exhausting, so we gloss it over. We take shortcuts, or try to. It’s much easier to think and follow “all or nothing.”
So, while I definitely still disagree with Mrs. Morehead and Rhonda, I would rather be exploring why and how, instead of giving in to “all or nothing” thinking – and I thank Ophelia and Shauna and the others for giving me a place to do so – and Mrs. Morehead and Rhonda for bringing up the issues.
Theresa
PS – and I realize that this may read as hypocritical, given my stance in the “do people change” discussion – but the difference there is that I’m not willing to hurt myself again to find out if certain people have changed. Did it twice, same result, not willing to try again unless they can prove they’ve changed by contacting me first.
May 15th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Thanks, Ophelia, for writing this and sharing your experience.
But I have to wonder, for myself–where was I that I attracted reading Ms. Morehead’s post into my own experience? LOL! I’ll have to ponder that one…
May 15th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Hey Steve,
I have to wonder for myself- Where was I that I attracted reading her post..LOL..From the looks of it not in a good place if it took that little nudget to push me over the edge.
Weirdly enough I’ve been attracting people all week who are ashamed of their credit -Go figure.
May 28th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
This post has been bothering me for two weeks now. I must say something or I will not be able to sleep tonight.
First of all, none of you know Debra Moorhead. She is nothing like what you have depicted. Furthermore, Ophelia, she did not attack you personally, and yet you severely slandered her – even lied about her – taking her comments out of context. Most of your readers didn’t even read the entire article; they just took your word for it. BIG MISTAKE.
Debra’s comment, “79% are thieves” was not meant to be taken literally – and if you had read the entire article or were familiar with her writing style, you’d know that. You obviously felt guilty and ashamed about your past, Ophelia, but if you did nothing wrong, and neither has anyone else who falls into that 79%, then what are you so upset about?
The fact that you have inspired two of your readers to send Debra hate e-mails telling her that she is a rotten horrible person, among other evil comments, makes you a hypocrite when it comes to teaching the law of attraction. Does it make you proud that you’ve inspired hate, Ophelia? You’re spreading hate utilizing the law of attraction. Great job.
I subscribe to Debra’s blog and I saw your response on her site about child molestation. The reason it was only approved for a few hours was because you hung yourself in your response. You didn’t even answer her question, you went off on a tangent and might as well have pulled your pants down on national television. Someone pointed it out and Debra decided to not allow you to show yourself in that light. She protected you because she knew you were upset. She has love for everyone, even you, even at this point. She is a class act, all the way.
Debra has retracted the article, saying, “Anything that causes that much upset is not what this site is about; it’s not what I want to be about.”
The post was written to point out to young readers who think that they way they handle their credit is no big deal, that many employers, like it or not, Ophelia, choose to, or are required to, pull credit and background checks and have them on file. If you were in any kind of licensed profession in Kentucky, you would know that. Many employers are even checking blogs now to find out what kind of person they’re hiring. I wonder who would hire you after the way you’ve slammed Debra Moorhead? But why am I surprised? I just realized that being a liar and a hypocrite are prerequisites for being a thief.
May 30th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Oh joy, whatever shall I do- Now that noone will hire me after bashing Mrs. Moorehead, Luckly I am self employed and my credit is great again- If I wasn’t I’d be shaking in my boots.
I’m very curious why all of Mrs. Moorehead’s supporter seem to all add comments under fake names and email addresses. If you truly support her at least have the courage to do so and stand behind it or is this a dash and run.
The reason my comment on her blog was only approved for a couple of hours is because Mrs. Moorehead wants her blog to be one sided. Even though your comment is rude- It is still allowed- Even though you are pulling down your pants on National Television as you say- We have provided the medium for you to moon us.
Enjoy!
P.S. Noone ever said Law of Attraction could only be used for good- I’ve never said that and so I’m not a hypocrite but since you yourself have inspired hate with your comment-I would like to take this oppurtunity to welcome you to the ranks fo Thief since by your own comment you meet all the prerequisites yourself..