Identity Theft and Dealing with Stress

I am dealing with stress better than I use to. I have long said my biggest risk factor for heart disease, after family history of it, was the way I dealt with stress. Even recently, I would get all riled up. Money or mis-management of it was often at the top of my list.

Today at a routine visit to the bank, I found my account to be in the negative, Not just by a couple bucks, but by the full amount of my overdraft protection balance. Someone had used my debit card number to put in a charge for the maximum amopunt it wopuld allow. At the Microtel of all places?!?

Of course I called the motel, but the desk clerk said the manager was gone for the day. I will have to deal with him/her tomorrow. Meanwhile my bank has canceled the card, and I will be issued a new one within 7 days. In the long run, everything will work out. In the short run, its a good thing I have steady cash flow driving a Taxi, and all my bills are paid through my other account. I switched banks a while ago, and never got around to closing the account in question. My checks are automatically deposited into it, and once a month, I write one check to fund my "new" account. Good thing in retrospect. The associated hassle would be far greater had it been account number two that was accessed.

How did this happen? I do not know, but theorize My card fell out of my pocket in my cab, and a rider found it. I had not been able to find it for a while, but just thought I misplaced it in my house. I had it out to pay for something online last month. Online you suspect. I ruled that out, as the online merchant is in California, and the Microtel was here in Lexington. My original theory makes more sense.

At this moment, everything is up in the air. I know it will work out. But the important thing is, I am not stressed out at all. Before when I qwould get stressed out, it was over myself making banking errors or bad spending decisions. This is completely out of my control. I have kept much better control over my finances for quite a while now, and have the self assurance to know that this was not my fault. Sure I made my card accessible to a thief, by not being carefull with it, but I can deal with that.

I am glad I am able to get past something that use to stress me out to no end. All else is going good too. I have an appointment with Dr. Gurley next month. I look forward to it.

Au rev.

Kronick
aka Kevin 3.1

[...driving by in the Red Car...]