Struggle Moves In

Ah the first of the month. A fresh start, a new day, a glorious beginning. Unless you are me, and then it's just a strugglesome hectic hellish 24 hour period filled with pain, despair, stress, and ultimately whiskey. Mmmm, whiskey.

Let's jump back a little for some context, shall we? You see, while other young people may have gotten summer jobs involving waitressing or babysitting or possibly some kind of retail, from the tender age of 18 I was required to begin studying for my real estate license. As one does. For the last two summers I have spent my time dashing around Struggledelphia in a mad effort to convince insipid co-eds and obnoxious Wharton students to rent our apartments, all the while trying to retain my sanity and refrain from punching anyone in the face before they have signed the lease. Afterwords, on the other hand, all bets are off. So while other young people frolic through the summer, having picnics and taking road trips (I get a lot of my information from teen films, so I'm just assuming this is what people do) I have spend my summers dealing with idiots, or, in real estate terms, "tenants". And the worst day for rentals is always the first of the month, because that is the day that most of our leases start, so the day that most people move in, so the day whose encroaching presence makes me live in fear.

Now, I believe that there are people out there, responsible capable people who sign there leases early, who respond by email and phone, who generally seem to WANT to move in to their apartments in a speedy and efficient manner. I just haven't MET them. All I've met are incompetent individuals who make the first of the month my personal inferno. So this Independence day, as fireworks go off around me and leering drunks try to convince me to be the side dish to their marriage, I'm celebrating me independence from tenants. At least until the first of next month. Happy Fourth of July, guys! Struggle on!

I think this mannequin looks the way I felt. Business on top, struggle on the bottom.