Baa Baa Blacksheep...

So last night I get an IM on my Facebook from my brother. There are quite a few nicknames I can choose for him, but I believe the nicest one would have to be "Blacksheep". Blacksheep sends me and IM saying he really needs me to call him right away, that he really needs to talk to me. Normally when he says this it means "I am bored and want to talk to you.", but this time it was different.

I call up Blacksheep and he says that he needs a favor. The conversation that follows goes something like this:

Blacksheep: I found out I have a warrant and I have no money to pay it. There is a company that is willing to hire me as soon as I take care of the warrant. I have no job, but if you can help me out I will pay you back as soon as I start working.

Me: Blacksheep, you have picked the WRONG time of year for this. It is Christmas, and we do not have the money to help you out. Wait... how much is it?

Blacksheep: Around $375

Me: Yikes, yeah... we do not have it. Is there anyone else that can loan it to you? What happened to your job?

Blacksheep: I don't know anyone else. I mean I asked Dad for money before... There was this company that said they were going to hire me, they said I had to give notice on my other job, I did, then I went to Texas to work with them and when I got there they said I have had too many jobs in the past two years and they would not hire me. I have no money, no where to live. I don't know what to do.

Me: No where to live? What happened with Holly?

Blacksheep: Her boyfriend did not like me staying there, so I had to leave. **Note: He was staying in a trailer outside of his ex's house**

Me: So where are you now?

Blacksheep: Staying with a friend in Hastings for tonight, after that I have no where to go.

Me: Blacksheep, you need to go find a job outside of trucking. There are a lot of temp jobs around this time of year just for the holidays. Make some money, pay off the warrant, and go get that job you want. Sell some of your things to get money.

Blacksheep: I have nothing to sell! Then where to I go? Where do I sleep?

Me: I don't know... I cannot help you. I am too far away to do anything. Sorry.

I feel bad for him, but at the same time I don't. He said the warrant was for a bounced check back in 2004 (and blamed his ex wife for that). He has borrowed from my father, my aunt, and God knows who else... at some point you burn all your bridges.

I mean, back in October he came out here to visit. He lost his job before he came out here and came with $700 for two weeks; not a lot of money for two weeks in Germany. I tried to take him around to see the sights that was within my budget, not charging him for gas or food while he was here. I covered it all as best as I could (not easy working with just my husband's paycheck and 3 kids). He even brought someone out with him and was paying their way... not smart. On top of everything his car broke down right before he flew out, so when he got back he had no money, no job, no where to live and no vehicle. He called my aunt who loaned him money for a hotel till he could do orientation with this company he said he had a job with, but that job "fell through", then he called my dad who loaned him money to get to Nebraska where he stayed in a trailer outside his ex's house. Trust me, I heard all about how loaning a man money who JUST got back from a vacation to Germany was a bitter pill to swallow (and I have to agree). Everyone is struggling and scraping to make ends meet and there is someone who just got back from Europe begging for money? Hmmm...

He got a job, quit that job for the one mentioned above in Texas, and when he went back to his old job and they asked him if he was going to keep looking for another job away from there and quit on them again he said "Yes.", so they said "We are not going to hire you back."

I find it sad that a 38 year old man has no job, no home, no money... has been in this situation many times before, and still refuses to learn from his mistakes. If he is continued to be bailed out he will never learn... and maybe even then he won't.