Creditability
A letter came from a credit card company, thanking me for my loyalty. Call me shameless, but not only am I disloyal to Master Card, I am triple-timing him.
I remember my first credit card. American Express. Unfortunately, the relationship was somewhat disappointing. It wasn’t anything American Express did. I thought he would bring me status but I found that he wasn’t accepted or liked in many places. I started asking why. In hushed voices, one merchant after another said that he over-charges. Eventually, this caused our exclusive relationship to end.
I admit that I was totally seduced by Discover Card. He promised me everything. 0% interest plus rewards points for every dollar spent. He swept me out of the arms of American Express and we had a whirlwind romance. When the initial excitement played itself out, I became aware that much of his generosity was because he wasn’t as established as the other cards and so needed to try harder. He was a bit too young for me. He hid his insecurities behind a lot of bravado but once again, he was not welcomed in many places.
When the next offer arrived, his name was embossed on the letterhead in silver, blue and gold foil. Visa Card. Master Card had a dominant personality. American Express was an elitist. Discover Card was adventurous. Visa was refined. He was accepted everywhere. He was easy to be with and enjoyable company. We seemed well matched.
Then the financial climate made an abrupt change. Interest rates climbed unmercifully. The financial playing field became treacherous. The special relationship became a thing of the past.
Today, I use credit cards as long as they offer a 0% rate. The day that shifts, our relationship ends. No hard feelings. It’s just better that way.
We learn most life lessons from our personal experiences. Some of us start right off by observing the pitfalls, while others fall into them and then struggle to get out, becoming wiser as a result. As we take on the challenges of how to handle the world we face today, it is helpful to engage in the subtler truth that we can learn from hard knocks, but we can also learn from soft touches.
Susan offers intuition seminars locally and is the author of: Beyond Intellect: Journey Into the Wisdom of Your Intuitive Mind. Contact her at www.susanvelasquez.com or (949) 494-7773.
