Chapter 2

 

A Surprising Referral

 

THAT APRIL WEEKEND TRIP to Port Huron changed my life.

The smell of my father's cigar, the voices of the Tigers' radio announcers, and talks about saving money rather than spending it do not rank high on Sue's list of favorite things. Throwing them all together proved to be too much for her. Claiming fatigue, she retired early that Friday night. My mother also excused herself—not to go to bed, however, but to tackle the monthly chore of paying the bills.

Dad and I sat down to talk about something that in our twenty-eight years together we had never discussed before. In these days of open conversations about everything including sexual habits, money remains a taboo subject, even among family members.

"I can't believe we've never talked about money before," I marveled.

"Even if we had, it would have been a short conversa-tion," Dad replied. "Up until six years ago, I didn't know a thing about finances. Your mother and I lived from paycheck to paycheck, making our mortgage payments,