Biographical Non-Fiction posted October 15, 2023


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Searching For a Few Dull tools in the Shed

Introduction to Stupidity

by Jay Squires


Four days ago, I was the unwitting co-conspirator in a $6,000 scam that left my wife and me penniless. 

You may remember from my earlier posts that we have been separated for going on to ten years, and she lives in a tiny mountain community some 50 miles away. Now, she handles all the finances in our odd relationship, which is precisely the way I want it. She receives our individual Social Security checks, and out of those she pays taxes, utilities, phones, TV, and the like. I withdraw $400 a month for food, gas, and … well, that’s about it. I read and write, and in the evening, watch a little TV. I do just fine on $400.

I’m giving you this background as preparation for a long piece that I’m publishing elsewhere, in a magazine called “The Narrative Arc”. In a few days, I plan to post the same story here for my followers and fans. (I want you to know that it wasn’t an easy story to write. And I’m going to be exposing a side of myself that may make you a bit uncomfortable. But I need to do it.)

Why? Because I figure that in a site as large as Fanstory, there are likely to be at least two or three people as stupid as I was. Most of you are intelligent and some of you are street smart to boot. I’m going to be trying to ferret out those two or three.

I know I thought I was smart.

I just don’t know whether any of you know how sophisticated some of these scamming networks are. I think you will see, if you choose to read my story, how easily one can, step-by-step, get drawn into their web of deception.

I’m not taking a lot of time to edit this. I want to get it out to you before I go to bed because I may decide as early as tomorrow to post “The Rest of the Story.” Also, I won’t be promoting this very high since the longer one deserves to be on page one.

Finally—and this is the hardest thing to say—I received my FanStory renewal notice tonight, and I don’t think I’m going to renew it. I don’t feel I have the time to do a proper job of reviewing and writing here. Not now at least. I’m in a dark place. I will pull myself out, and I’m sure I will be coming back sometime next year.

If you have a chance, please read my new post. It’s a thirteen-minute read, but I think you’ll know why it can’t be carved into chapters.

I love you guys.

Jay




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