unrealistic fears

remember when you could tape a penny to a card, mail it in and get 7 or 10 or 12 cassette tapes or albums for that penny........

not really, but i was nine or ten and not well versed in reading the small print or mailing back the cards to reject the next monthly selection.  I am not sure why my adoptive father never questioned why i was getting mail or boxes or had cassettes and obviously lots of them.  I finally received a letter from a collection agency stating that i owed a massive amount of money and if i didn't pay that i would be sued......in court.  That letter kept me up at night.  I had no idea what to do or how to pay this huge amount of money.  Suddenly, that penny didn't sound like such a good idea.  I went to my mother's one weekend and hid the letter under my bed.  I wasn't able to sleep, so i told her about the letter and how i was going to be sued.  I remember her laughing, that throw your head back cackle that she had and she told me that i couldn't be sued because i didn't own anything.  I felt better until she told me that she could be sued though, now i felt worse.  I gave her the letter and she took care of the horrible situation that had been keeping me up at night.  Gosh, those were the good ole days of mom coming in and waking me up when i would be coughing in my sleep to give me NyQuil or rub Vick's vapor rub on my back.  I really do wish i had more memories like that.

It is funny that i always seemed to keep that letter under my bed.  I guess i did that so i would always know where it was at, now i have a cat under my bed and a faucet in a box with a free towel rack and toilet paper holder that i was going to put in my bathroom when i remolded it.  My husband doesn't like the faucet, so i guess it will continue to stay under my bed, better than a letter threatening a lawsuit.....as for the cat, time to get her and go to bed.