Living in Serenity: Life After a Foreclosure

Imagine having an easy commute to work every morning where your eyes' view is filled with farmland, wooded areas, horses, maybe even a few cows grazing as you drive by. The relaxing drive and atmosphere gives you just enough time to clear your mind, and prepare for another hectic day at the office, giving you a chance to start the day in a nice way. Then, imagine coming home after work, looking into your backyard, and seeing a ravine with many trees, and the sound of birds, crickets, and so many fireflies in the summer that they look like twinkling Christmas lights. You have my own personal retreat where you can go, and truly unwind at the end of the work day. To finish it off, imagine not having a lot of heavy stress day to day in your life worrying about paying for a house you cannot afford, and everything that goes along with it.

Yet, this kind of lifestyle doesn't seem like a reality when being faced with major financial difficulties becoming the norm in the United States. Let's face it, in our society, if you are able to afford a big home in a suburban neighborhood, and drive just the right car, and have all the toys to go along with it, you have made it in the eyes of your neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family. This is where our society has convinced people especially in their twenties through forties age groups that our self worth, and success should be based on our financial status. With this sort of pressure to live up to, and having expectations that are not very realistic in our current economic situation in the United States, middle class families are seeing their dreams shattered while going through the embarrassment of foreclosing on their dream home, and settling for less than impressive homes and neighborhoods.