Declaring bankruptcy is a pain in the you-know-what. I worked as an investment banker in a small town for years and sometime down the road I ended up having financial issues. I just couldn’t ruin my reputation of a trustworthy and hard working banker that I had built up for myself. When I was conflicted with the thoughts of providing food for my family or tarnishing my honesty, I recalled the CO show I had recently seen. In it a man, who had the same occupation as I had, ran into the same problems. He settled with dishonest action. This gentleman, whom I will call Bob, spent the money his clients had entrusted with him. When one of the clients returned years later asking for the money in his savings, Bob used every excuse in the book. The client didn’t buy it. Bob finally relented and told the man that he had no money. The client was furious and took Bob to trial, where he was then found guilty of fraud. Bob had to file for bankruptcy and that was the end of his story. So you see I have no intention of being charged with a civil offense and ending up in jail for years. My story is just as boring as any other poor man’s. When I knew my debts couldn’t be paid any longer I decided to be the honest man I am and I told my clients that I would have to return their money to them and they should find another investment banker. Most of their reactions were of dismay, but I was surprised when one lady punched me in the face. Before she stalked out of my office, she turned around and said “I have wanted to do that ever since I saw the CO show about the man who went to jail. He too got punched in the face.”