my debt story

8/10/2019 My Debt Story

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My Escape from Private Student Loan Debt

Greetings, everyone. I came across this reddit earlier today, and I thought I would

share my story with the internet. I am choosing to remain anonymous, and I am hopeful

that my wish to remain anonymous will be respected by the users of this website. I am

writing because I want everyone to know about my perilous struggle with student loan

debt, my efforts to work with the people involved in the collection of it (despite their

unwillingness to compromise with me), and the sacrifices I underwent to ensure that I

never (willingly) paid them a single god damned dime for the entirety of their shelf life.

This is not some glorious Fuck the man!story, but rather, a brutally honest, well-detailed

story of my life and my debt struggle the past several years. It is my hope that this story

will go viral, and that people will, whether you agree or disagree with my actions, at least

get to talking about the invisible elephant in the room; inescapable, overwhelming, legally-

backed student loan debt, and its inability to be discharged by the average American.

Part 1: Completing school and the onset of the debt

Lets begin with graduation. I was a student at Clemson University, and before my

final semester of school, I simply ran out of money and the credit with which to borrow

more money. I was 9 credits shy of graduating with a degree, when I was informed that I

had reached my debt limit by the banks. Previously, I had co-signed under my mother and

grand-mother, and thanks to their combined credit scores, myself, my brother, and my

sister were all able to attend college. However, my grandmother had unfortunately passed

away before we were able to complete our education, and my mother had to file

bankruptcy, as a result of taking on too much debt herself while trying to support and


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assist us with our expenses. We all worked full-time throughout our entire time in college

as well, mainly in an effort to support our day to day living costs. However, between being

full-time students and our general academic costs, our paltry $7.25/hr jobs were nowhere

near enough to afford our tuitions (Mine was roughly $28,000ish a year, my brothers

$44,000ish, and my sisters was $24,000ish), textbooks, lab fees, rent, utilities bills, etc.

If youve never been to Clemson, you should know that its essentially a street long with

12 bars, a few restaurants, and a post office; proximal employment is INCREDIBLY limited.

As such, meaningful work is incredibly scarce for most majors, unless youre an engineer;

there are numerous engineering opportunities within 15 miles of the university. During my

time, I managed the Sociology research lab, and worked at a Zaxbys full time; my

monthly earnings were roughly $1100, and I was either in-class or at work 90 hours a

week. Even with all of this, I was not able to keep up with my tuition costs.

Realizing that an ALMOSTcollege degree would simply not suffice, I had no

choice but to turn to the University directly. I begged and implored the University to work

with me, citing how many sacrifices I had made to merely remain an enrolled student. For

starters, I was literally living homeless in the school library for 3 months. Since I couldnt

afford rent, I had to be resourceful. Id sleep in the basement at night, where it was quiet.

Id sneak into the cafeteria with large groups in order to get food for myself (as I didnt

have a meal plan). For hygiene, Id go to the schools gym every morning and work out,

and then use the showers there. The biggest challenge was laundry, which Id literally

complete by finding change around the campus and the downtown area throughout the

month, and then wash what was MOST necessary in the freshman dorms laundry sections.

I downsized all my possessions into a singular, large book-bag, as I didnt have anywhere

to put my things. It was roughly 7 pairs of clothes, and that was it. When I finally felt like I

couldnt make it anymore, I went to see the undergrad Dean of students and told him how


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as a flaw. Bear in mind that, by this time, I was already applying for entry-level jobs out of

desperation; if I am not qualified for an entry level job, what, exactly, AM I qualified for?

One night, I finally had told my friend that I need to go out, man. Just one night,

we have to relax; Im losing my shit and so angry and confused and depressed that I can

barely stand it anymore., and he understood. He had seen how much I was trying to

make things work, and how I just could not seem to get that one lucky break that I

needed to get on my feet. We went out to U Street, and we got absolutely obliterated with

some of his-coworkers. One of them picked up the entire companys tab, and we headed

out of the bar, drunk and happy (even if only for a few hours), to our next destination. My

friend wanted to go see a girl, and I wanted to go to sleep.

You sure youre gonna be able to make it home alright?asked me.

Of course man, whats the worst that could happen? I replied to him.

But the worst was about to happen. On my way home, I was jumped by 4 guys,

and they beat the shit out of me. It was so bad that I didnt even know what hadhappened. I was spotted lying on the side of the road in a ditch by my friends co-worker

at 4 a.m; for hours, people just drove right by as I laid on the side of the road in a ditch,

bleeding and unconscious. The lootfor the muggers was a commanding $11, and my

$30 loaner cell phone. I returned home after the incident for a few weeks to heal and

recover. After recuperating, I returned to the city, this time more determined than ever, to

make it in DC. My first day back in Washington DC, I was walking down a main street

with my friend, when 3 people approached us, unveiled their firearms, and pointed their

weapons at our heads. Let me see the bunny ears mother fucker!the main mugger said

to us. They were clearly minors, probably under the age of 16, but they had the drop on

us. I couldnt even believe it; I was back in DC for 1 day, and I was already attacked


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again. This setback was too great to ignore, and as such, I returned home to live with my

parents. I thanked my friend repeatedly for his offering of hospitality to me over the

previous few months, but I told him I had to write this expedition off at a loss. I would be

leaving DC for the second time in 1 month, defeated and empty-handed, and more afraid

of the world then I had ever been before in my life.

However, when it rains, it poursand upon returning home, I became incredibly ill.

I had somehow managed to contract mono, pneumonia, and the flu simultaneously. I was

bed-ridden for nearly 6 months. By now, I had not made a single dollar, nor a single

payment on my student loans, and they called me and to try and get to the bottom of why

I was so delinquent in my payments. I talked with them on the phone, and updated them

on my situation. They agreed to give me a medical forbearance. THANK GOD!I thought

to myself; there is some compassion with the banks! But what I didnt know at the time

was just how monstrously you get fucked when you enter a forbearance. Your loans

accumulate interest at a rapidly accelerating pace, and suddenly, my loans approximating

to $110,000 were already up to $126,000. Jesus Christ, I need to find a job. NOW!I

remember thinking, as the panic was starting to set in. It would still be another 3 months

before I felt capable of working, and even then, it was in a very limited capacity. If youve

never had mono, imagine being completely and totally physically exhausted after being

awake for 30 minutes, every single day, for months. Now, imagine trying to stay

productive/conscious at a workplace environment for 8 hours a day; it is night impossible.

When I finally did find a job, it was an $8.00/hr job, with no benefits. I was bringing

home roughly $1000 a monthmeaning that if I paid my student loans, Id have roughly

$20 a month to my name. I called my creditors and told them there was no possible way

for me to afford even the bare minimum required for my student loan payments, and they


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told me to do whatever I could manage. I tried to reason with them, and my complaints

fell on deaf ears.

At this point, I had sought out an attorney. I was confident that I could possibly file

bankruptcy on the loans, citing medical hardship and physical duress. The attorney

laughed at me, and told me The only way student loans go away is by paying them off,

or dying. Theres not a court in the land that will discharge them. Dont even bother.You

might imagine my reaction and my surprise when I realized that a person can, in fact, rack

up the debts for drugs and gambling and discharge them they can max out their credit

cards and discharge them they can discharge medical debts if they are deemed

impossible to payoff they can bankrupt multiple times and discharge that debt, too. What

they cant, or should I say, wont, do, however, is provide relief for students who, despite

their best intentions, fall between the cracks after graduation. I was now 15 months in, and

I hadnt paid even a single cent to the debt collectors, and the tone of the conversation

was about to start changing. Its essential that you understand that this was not due to an

unwillingness to work, but rather an inability to generate enough revenue to pay the bare

minimum amount that was required to hit the interest. This meant that I wasnt even

putting a dent in the principle amount; I would merely be ensuring that I was maintaining a

-$110,000.00 balance owed.

Part 2: Threats from Debt Collectors Lawyers and Government Agencies

It turns out that once you fall into the delinquent phases of student loan debt, that

there is nothingsacred anymore. You can bank on those 8:00 a.m. phone calls every

single day from Sallie Mae, Wells Fargo, Chase Bank, etc; they are going to become a

routine part of your life. They will never leave a message, and if you do answer and


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explain your situation, youre quickly going to realize that your well-being and

circumstances are given absolutely zero credence or consideration. I pleaded my case

with multiple representatives, and I was always accused of not trying hard enough.

Surely you have someone who can lend you some money

You signed the dotted line; your excuses have no place here.

Your financial irresponsibility is not my problem; collecting the debts you owe is.

Those are just some of the NICER examples of exact phrases that I would hear. At

no point was it considered possible that I had personal problems; I was simply a lazy,

slack-jawed fuckwad who was being lazy and entitled. I informed them I was robbed, and

hospitalized, and that I was trying, but that I could barely afford to pay for my day-to-day

expenses as it was. But no one wanted to hear it; all I would get is more threats, more

promises to take things away from me, more legal mumbo-jumbo swearing to make me

pay, and with interest. I have never been more distressed in my life than during the first

90 days of this aggressive policy shift; I can remember sitting in my room, crying, on morethan one occasion, as they threatened to take the money back via my family.

Then the letters began. The letters are easily my least favorite part, because they

are literally nothing beyond threats. Well-worded, eloquently poised threats. Things that

read along the lines of:

If you dont pay, well sue you.

If you dont pay the full sum in 30 dayswell repossess your property

If you dont pay, well suspend your license and garnish your paychecks.

If you dont pay, well destroy your credit and go after your familys assets.


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If you arent getting the picture, then let me help paint it for you; signing up for a

student loan you cant pay back is literally forfeiting your rights as a human being, and

agreeing to be the victim of government-backed extortion. When these letters started

coming in, I remember my mother having panic attacks, crying, threatening to throw me

out of the house and onto the streets if I caused trouble for the family. I didnt know what

else to do, so I wrote them, begging for mercy, asking for a discharge for my loans, citing

that I simply was incapable of paying even the minimal amount every month. I apologized

100 times over, saying I was so sorry that I couldnt honor my obligations, but that I had

nearly died twice in the past 2 years, and that literally nothing had gone my way. I heard

nothing for several days, until I finally received a phone call from the most ruthless debt

collector I ever came across. While this is not verbatim, this is as close as I and my family

members can recall:

Is this _____?

Yes, that would be me; may I ask which agency youre with?

Well, lets be honest _____, does it matter? Its not like youve been paying

anyone anyway, now have you? So let me cut to the chase. You better start producing

something, something substantial, in the next 48 hours. I can see youve been working at

_____ for 3 months now, and if youre telling me you dont have enough to pay us, Im

telling you that youre a liar.

.excuse me?

Thats right, ______. We have tried to contact you numerous times, and you have

dodged all of our inquiries. So Im going to inform you right now, we intend to reclaim our

losses. If you dont pay us a sum of, lets say $1,000, in the next 48 hours, wellstart


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taking more aggressive action. You can bet your ass that were already seizing your tax

return this year, so I wouldnt wait around for that, buddy.

Sir, I have written your agency plenty of times, and I have detailed why I cant

pay. Its not a matter of will; its that theres no way I can affo-

You know what? Lets go ahead and work on getting that license suspended.

Maybe thatll get you thinking about your priorities a little straighter.

are you fucking kidding me? How is that going to make me have more money?

It isnt, but maybe itll get you thinking about what you can and cant live without.

Youre also aware that your grandmother, ________, co-signed both your loans, right?

What if I told you we can claim a portion of her retirement as a form of payment?

Are you threatening my family? You piece of shit, are you threatening my family?

Oh no, _____, these arent threats; these are my legal rights as a debt collector.

Maybe this will get you to start playing ball? Hmmm, are you thinking a little clearer now,

seeing the big picture?

It was at this point that I hung up the phone. I went into my room, locked the door,

and I cried. I simply had no idea what else to do, so I just sat there and cried for a few

hours. But during my emotional breakdown, I had an epiphany an epiphany that was

going to change *everything*.

Part 3: Fear turns to boldness apathy turns to intolerance of injustice

My grandmother is deadI remember thinking to myself. and I dont have a

car.These threatening, ignorant fucktards knew and cared so little about whom I was and


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what I had been doing over the years that they hadnt even done their basic homework on

me. It hit me like a sack of bricks; these debt collectors had no leg to stand on. You

simply cant enforce a collection when there is simply no money there to collect. Perhaps

they had thought I was willingly holding out on them? Surely they could have just checked

my earnings from the previous years and seen that, in fact, I had earned hardly even

$4,000 in 2 years. Regardless of their perspective, they had crossed the line for the last

time. After a good, long cry session, I let out a laugh. they have nothing. They have

absolutely fucking nothing. I remember thinking to myself, and it made me smile. In a

sense, being intimidated and backed into a corner had empowered me, and emboldened

me. My attitude and demeanor had changed almost immediately. No longer was I sitting

there crying, worrying about what will happen if I cant pay?, no, instead I was sitting

there thinking Over my dead fucking body will they get 1 cent from me, ever. Not one

single god damned cent.In a world without any options or any protections for the student

borrower, the only voice you have is your dollar, and your plan of attack. Thats it. No

one, *no one* can help you, excluding 1) death, or 2) a wealthy, charitable person.

Dont expect any help from the government either; theyre the ones who made it a law

in 2005, ensuring students would be screwed over for the rest of their lives if they

could not fulfill their financial obligations.

It was at this time, I realized I would never be able to live an ordinary life.

Things that people take for granted would be unattainable luxuries for me. I would not

be able to sign my own lease for an apartment. I could not acquire a new vehicle. I

would never be given access to a credit card or a loan again, period. All I would ever

have in life is what I had the cash to pay for in my hands, and that was it. You see,

when you no longer have the delusion of credit in your corner (which, between my

parents bankruptcy and my non-existent credit score, was exactly zero) you look at life


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in an entirely different perspective. Life becomes less about wants and all about needs.

You dont splurge on anything. New clothes? Nope. Expensive food? No. Exotic trips

and vacations? Absolutely not. But you will find something to hide behind; for me it was

alcohol, but Im sure for others, it will be something else. To say I began to drink is the

understatement of a lifetime, but it was the only way to unwind anymore; I would never

receive peace of any kind from the debt collectors. Whether it was letters, phone calls,

text notifications, etc, the contact was endless, and the escape was nigh-impossible.

At first, you think about ludicrous schemes.

Maybe Ill just sell drugs; at least Ill pocket what I make

maybe I should just sell everything I own and mine Bitcoins?

Ill flee the country and startover; theyll never stop me in Brasil!

but eventually, you realize that even national borders dont exempt you from

student loan debt; that shit can literally follow you to a different continent. You realize

that taking foolish risks is what got you into this debt in the first place, and you

become more risk-aversive entirely. When you do even a basic google search of

student loan debt, you realize that this isnt some new phenomena, but rather its just

much more prevalent and noticeable these days than it ever was before. You search

for ways around it, and you realize that you basically have to die or become critically

handicapped to get out of debt. What a glorious way to reward people for trying to

better themselves culturally, academically, and professionally; debt slavery for the rest

of their lives. Youll search and search and search and search, certain that theres a

way to combat this fiscal injustice but you will come to realize that there is only one


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No. I am done talking with people like you. You will never hear from me again.

Ever. Goodbye.

That was the last time I would ever be in contact with any creditor or debtor.

The calls would continue, the letters would be mailed, the tone would become

increasingly more threatening and violent. At the end of the day, I simply stopped

checking the mailbox. I discarded my cell-phone; it wasnt like it was my friends or

family calling anymore, anyway. I created new email addresses and used aliases on all

of them, so as to prevent anyone from harassing me digitally. I never once updated my

home address. In a sense, I disappeared from the grid. If you werent a close friend,

you were dead to me. Yet this was just the beginning of what was to come. I became

infinitely aware of financial injustices across multiple planes, as I started to research

ways to combat them. When you actually read up on how prevalent predatory lending

schemes are, you really start to wonder how the banks get away with it. There was

only one answer that made sense to me: financial non-compliance, and complete,

absolute defiance.

Part 4: Total Defiance and Financial Non-compliance

To explain how this works, you must first understand the magnitude which is

being discussed. Simply refusing to pay your debts is not enough; you must change

your lifestyle in its entirety. You will live poorer, cheaper, and with less, generally, than

everyone you know. You will almost assuredly be forced into isolation, as your lifestyle

is simply not conducive to the concept of things like meaningful, intimate relationships.

Who would date someone that has no car, a low-paying job, lives at home with their

parents, and hardly afford to feed or dress themselves? You will have to leave


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When I called to contest it, they said I must have misplaced it, and when I called

bullshit, they said theyd send me another copy of it. The next day, I walked into work,

and I quit my job. My employer was perplexed. Was there a problem? my boss

asked me. No, Im sorry. Its not the job, I just cant afford to have my wages

garnished here. Thank you for everything you did for me.I said to him. In a sense, I

was too poor to work; how fucking ludicrous is that statement to even

say out loud?Really though, take a moment to mull that one over; too poor to

work. New rules of engagement had been established; re-possession was a serious

matter that was foreign to me. I immediately withdrew every cent from my bank

account, and like a crazy old man, I began storing it in a shoe in my house. The reality

of my new cash-only lifestyle was beginning to set in, and I could tell I had a long road

ahead of me. This war was just getting started.

Over the next 2 years, I bounced from job to job. Every time I would get a letter

telling me of intent to garnish my wages, I would simply quit the job. Nope Id think

to myself, ... not a chance in hell theyre getting a dollar of my money.Employer after

employer sitting there, stunned, wondering why I would abruptly leave. With every job I

took and left, it became harder and harder to find work, which was an unforeseen

consequence. Turns out, if you get a reputation as someone who will leave at a

moments notice, people are less likely to hire you. Yet this is a reality that you must

be willing to undertake; the non-compliance must be absolute. You better be ready to

defend your actions too; as far as other employers are concerned, your lack of loyalty

is just a matter of fitting the profileas an unreliable, irresponsible, immature person. If

only they knew what I was going through, or could even begin to understand

What starts out as difficult can become downright excruciating physically,

mentally, and socially. While you are floundering to feed yourself and buying thrift shop


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clothing, many of your friends who were fortunate enough to find fiscal success will be

living a life quite opposite of yours. My friends were getting engaged, getting married,

buying houses, having children, etc. When theyd see me and ask So, how are you

doing these days?, it was always more of a courtesy question than a curiosity

question. Poorly. Id say, in a word. There I was, cell-phoneless, carless, homeless,

clothesless, luxuryless, just scraping by, trying to prove a point. After awhile of living

like this, its easy to become critical, even jealous, of people who were able to be

fiscally responsible/free. I cant count the number of times I WANTEDsomething, and

simply couldnt have it, or couldnt justify having it.Student loan debt is an anchor that

will drag you down to the bottom and force you to watch the world pass you by.

but then it happens. Eventually, the creditors will start to lay off. The tones will

start to change. No longer will they be derogatory, accusatory, malicious, etc. No, on

the contrary, the debtors start to realize theres a really good chance that were not

going to ever get this money.., and boy oh boy will you know when that time comes.

Suddenly, the phone calls will be friendly and polite. Suddenly, they want to work with

you, an option that, years before, was absolutely non-negotiable and off the table

entirely. Its less about recovering the entire sum of the debt, and more about Can we

get anything out of this guy?and not be forced to eat the entirety of the loss on the

unpaid debt. Do not be fooled; you must remain non-compliant. You see, with private

loan debt, there are, in fact, limitations on it. It is only a valid debt for so many years,

*UNLESS* an effort to make a payment is accounted for, in which the validity of the

debt can be reset. Therefore, if you wait say, 3 years, and then decide to pay them,

even once, you have effectively hit a reset button. Its a sneaky, often unmentioned

aspect of debt. Debtors have X amount of years, varying by state, to either collect


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some debt, or sue you for it. However, they will likely not sue you unless you DO, in

fact, have the money available, and are simply opting not to pay it.

Over the next 3 years, at no point did I ever have more than $2,000 in my

account. I never had enough for a true emergency; if I had ever been hospitalized, Id

have just had to die. I neglected my health almost entirely because healthcare was so

massively unaffordable at the time. Without preventative healthcare of any kind, you do

physically deteriorate; especially when it comes to dental hygiene and optical care.

Essentially, for 3 years of my life, life consisted of going to work, going home, going to

sleep, and once per week, drinking heavily. It was the only luxury that was remotely

affordable or attainable for me.

You learn a lot about yourself in this time frame. Firstly, and most obviously, you

quickly discover what sort of mental toughness you bring to the table. Its so easy to

crack and crumble. There are days where youll be so depressed and miserable that all

youll want to do is jump in front of an 18-wheeler and die. Days where youll think

God I would literally kill a man in the street right now if I meant I could afford a

steak. You start absolutely rejoicing at the little victories. One night stands, no matter

how meaningless, have never been so humanizing. Youll become really fond of free

entertainment; bonfires, camping, parks, sports, etc. I will say that I am in some of the

best shape of my life, courtesy of my extended poverty stint. Ultimate Frisbee, hiking,

biking, running, lifting; these become necessary measures to pass the time, as well as

to add some semblance of purpose in life. As stated earlier, youre essentially watching

the world do better than you, while debt bogs you down. I found writing, reading, and

self-exploration to be crucial during these years. Without constant and continuous

physical and mental stimulation, your mind will wander to dark places; it is inevitable.


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The next thing youll realize is how smart you are, and how smart you arent.

You see, when you dont have all the tools available to you that other people have,

youll *QUICKLY* realize that you need to adapt. You want to see a movie, but you

cant afford it? Better learn how touse torrents! You want to keep in touch with people,

but you dont have a phone? Hope you can find a computer to make a Google Voice

account with, and an internet caf for Skype. If you didnt use mass transit before, you

will be a god damned expert by the time this self-imposed protest is over. You want

something nice to eat, but you cant afford it? Youll quickly become a savvy couponer

and a master barterer; trading is alive and well, friends, and being good with your

words will certainly help your life. I was shocked at how much more intelligent I

became by being poor out of necessity. Youll meet a LOT of people, too, who are on

the same hustle as you, everyone sharing their tricks of the trade along the way, just

trying to get by. I may not have ever had more than $2,000 in 5 years, but I took trips

across the country for free. I found my way to beaches, to mountain tops, to different

cities and different states. The internet is an amazing tool for a person with a will and

the desire to get more; all it takes is time, and patience.

A strong support circle is also indescribably valuable. I would *never* have

survived over the years without my friends. When times were at my worst, they were

the ones who helped me out the most. When I couldnt get a job, the government

wasnt there for me, my friends were. When I was hungry, they helped put food on the

table. When I was sad or felt lost, they were there to keep get me back on track. When

I lost all hope and despaired, they picked me up and helped me overcome every

obstacle, every step of the way. I promise you, no matter what happens in your life

financially, make sure you remember who is good to you; never, ever forget those

people.


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All the while, the calls and letters change names. What starts off with Wells

Fargo, Chase, etc, ends with companies youve never heard of, small-time attorneys

who are particularly adept at writing menacing letters, and dozens upon dozens of NEW

debt collectors. Your debt will be passed around and sold off every 9 months,

seemingly, and all to no avail. The tactics will change drastically per group; some will

threaten you, some will demand a reply immediately, some will demand payment

immediately. It is absolutely imperative that they are all treated with the same disdain

and lack of consideration that they would have afforded you the first time you asked for

assistance. Do not ever buy into the carrot-on-a-stick solutions; at the end of the day,

debtors do not care at all about you. All they want is to collect their money, and by any

means necessary. They will absolutely lie and deceive you, telling you everything you

want to hear, making promises they absolutely cannot keep.

Job after job, couch after couch, city after city; I cant even tell you how many

times I had to change things up in the past 5 years. But, finally, resolution took place.

5 years of endless sacrifice, self-induced misery, and non-compliance would pave the

way for a bright horizon.

Part 5: Discharge of debt and financial liberation


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After 5 long, painful years, I finally received a series of letters that read similar

to this one.

After several YEARS of complete and absolute sacrifice and financial non-

compliance, my debts have been discharged. Note that this does not mean I am free; I

will never, ever have credit in my life. However, after years of practice, I am confident

that I will not need it. Yes, my lifestyle will be drastically different from nearly everyone

I know. However, I am finally free to make money, to find a career, to possess things

and to exist in this world as a human being should, and not as a slave must. I will

have the ability to drive. I will be dateable, as I will actually be able to stockpile and

save money. In time, I may be able to, at the very least, own my own apartment. My


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personal and professional growth was and has been absolutely hampered in ways you

cannot fathom. People who graduated school the same year as I did are now in mid-

level management positions, and substantially more equitable than I will likely ever be

in my lifetime. I do not even have a girlfriend; some of my friends have children who

are nearly teenagers already. It is a tough pill to swallow at times, but I suppose a life

that starts later is better than no life at all.

However, to the best of my individual ability, I sent a message; I will not be de-

humanized for the sake of contractual obligation. The choices I made, to some, were

drastic and unreal, but they were my choices. No lawyer forced my hand, no courtroom

assigned judgment to me; I chose a difficult path, and followed it to the end in its

entirety. I dont know that I would recommend this road to everyone but if youre over

$100,000.00 in debt, and you, too, cannot get out of the hole then perhaps non -

compliance will be the answer for you, too. I have no doubt that many people will write

me off as a lazy, slack, worthless person. They will consider this decision selfish, and

cast judgment on a lifestyle they likely cant even fathom. Thats okay; I understand,

respect, and reject the difference of opinion and perspective. At the end of the day, I

made a choice; I traded away my youth for a chance at having the rest of my life. My

20s came and went, and there was no joy in my final years of adolescence. However, I

have the rest of my 30s to get out there and live, and thats something, damnit!

As for me January 31st, 2015, will be the beginning of my life. I may have

missed out on my 20s, but I have the rest of my life to seize the day. I plan to live

them all to the fullest that I possibly can, a hardened, educated man without fear in his

heart. I hope this story serves as an inspiration, and possibly even motivation for you

fellow non-compliant folks to stay the course. The only voice we have as a people in


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America was, is, and will always be with our words and our wallets. I encourage to

speak loudly, clearly, and bravely; go forward confident in all your actions and

decisions, and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel youre just gonna

have to crawl your way out, one day at a time. There will always be people who say

Youre just lazy/you signed up for this/it is all your fault/be accountable., and to those

people I say, I tried, I really did. I tried to open a dialogue on multiple occasions, I tried

to be reasonable, and I tried to explain my situations. But the fact is, banks and

debtors (and surprisingly, even people) are indifferent to the fact that sometimes, Life

happens., and no contract on earth prepares you for that. I suppose, in a way, it was

myfault that I got deathly ill, and myfault that I was robbed and assaulted, at

gunpoint, and my fault that family members literally died along the way. But for those of

you who still have your humanity in-tact, and realize that the almighty U.S. dollar

doesnt account for more than a persons life, I hope you believe me when I say, it

wasntall my fault.

I hope youll share this story, I hope it goes viral. I hope everyone reads it.

Whether you agree or disagree with my choice to be financially non-compliant, I want

people to recognize and understand how problematic this is for not only the individual,

but for the country and society as a whole. I am but 1 person, but 1 in 3 college

students are delinquent on their student loan debt, and 1 in 8 college students are in

default. Thats a staggering number, and one that will only continue to get worse so

long as this country refuses to open up a dialogue about the plight of unforgivable

student loan debt. Please, if you take anything away from this article, take away that

this IS a big problem, one that will likely affect our entire generation and future

generations to come if nothing is done about it. Please, share this story, help it go


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my debt story

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