Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: ESCAPE (03/04/21)
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TITLE: When Optimism Hurts | Previous Challenge Entry
By John Custer
03/07/21 -
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“Sure, I’ll be right over.”
Harland had started mowing grass at the funeral home, then washing cars. This was the first time he had been asked to help with a removal.
After observing Harland’s interest and ability, Mr. Carey suggested that he consider becoming a funeral director as a career. It really did make sense to him. There would be the challenge of being a good embalmer, cosmetician, and director. A nice working environment, and the opportunity to manage a small business also had appeal.
Mr. Carey was approaching retirement when Harland graduated from Mortuary School so he offered a job to Harland with an opportunity to buy the business in five years. It was everything a young man could dream for.
Harland married a fine girl and soon they had two children, a home, a dog and a cat.
Mr. Carey was pleased with Harland and was confident that the business would be in good hands. He had plenty of opportunity to observe him over the years.
Time passed quickly and eventually Harland was the sole owner. He had ideas on how to make the business bigger. He first bought another small funeral home, then expanded the chapel of his main business and repaved the parking lot. He also felt some of the vehicles needed to be upgraded. All would have been good projects if funds were available.
It is interesting how an optimistic person can justify big expenses. “The increased business from this expenditure will generate more than enough income to cover its cost.”
About that time prearranging and prepaying of funerals was becoming popular. After the director collected the funds for a prepaid funeral, he had 60 days to forward the funds to the state.
Lois, Harland’s wife, meanwhile, gradually noticed Harland’s personality changing. Irritability seemed more frequent and she asked him about it. He told her that he had some casket bills that were pressing so he paid them. When the dollars were due to the state for the prepaid funerals, he didn’t have the funds to send in.
Then a family called the state asking where their confirmation was that the funds had been sent in. Harland promised it would be taken care of that day. Fortunately, some accounts receivable came in and he was able to make the payment to the state. It was a close call, but he escaped.
He also had mortgage payments, payroll, taxes, utilities and casket payments. He simply did not have enough income to support his commitments. He continued to “borrow” from the prepaid funeral funds in order to pay pressing bills. However, the money did not come in to pay the state. His optimism put him in a position of no escape. His world was crashing in on him.
Listening to the families tell the judge that they lost their life savings to Harland was almost more than he could bear. However, he not only had disappointed himself, but also Mr. Carey, his wife, his parents and many friends. He had no intention of ever letting this happen.
“Guilty!” pronounced the judge, as he slammed his gavel down. Harland’s career was over. He received 5 years with 4-1/2 years suspended. He could not escape: he was a prisoner.
As he sat in his cell so many thoughts flashed before him. He certainly didn’t intend to hurt anyone….but he did. He hurt a lot of people. It was his optimism that caused him to overextend himself financially. He knew he was good at what he did, but he learned a financial lesson the hard way. He did not escape the pain and punishment.
While this story is fiction, it is based on real situations where good optimistic people made bad business decisions from which they could not escape. The results are devastating to them, and unfortunately it happens quite frequently.
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