program in my Letter from the Editor on page 3, it’s not possible to capture the emotional tone of the interview. Although Glen spoke with some regret about his work, most of what he said was expressed with a kind of nostalgic enthusiasm about the life he was living. My question: What values is Glen communicating as he describes his life as a mortgage broker? We already know that he knew he was making loans to people who “didn’t have a pot to piss in.” “At the height, I was making 75 to 100 grand per month ($75,000 to $100,000 per month). What was that movie, Boiler Room? You ever see that movie? That’s what it was like. I mean it was just…it was the coolest thing ever. It was cubicle, cubicle, cubicle for, you know, a hundred, fifties, thousand square feet. The ceilings were probably 25, 30 feet ceilings. The elevator had this big graffiti painting that was awesome. [Interviewer: A graffiti painting meaning that it had been there since… they had not done any
amenities to this place…] It was just a big open space and it was awesome. We lived mortgage. That’s what we did, that’s all we did, you know what I mean? All of us, we just lived it. You know, this deal, that deal; what’s going on here; how we gonna get this one funded; what’s the problem with this one? I mean you get there and that’s all everybody’s talking about.” Glen really seemed to love his job. He seemed particularly impressed with the Spartan nature of his workplace: just a bunch of cubicles in a huge warehouse. They didn’t even bother to cover up the graffiti in the elevator. What apparently seemed “awesome” to Glen was the fact that a warehouse was set up quickly for the express purpose of making mass mortgage loans which would result in massive amounts of money. And Glen made a lot of money. He had five cars, a 1.5 million dollar vacation home and rented a penthouse in Manhattan. Glen continued: “We would roll up to Marquis at
North Shore Children & Families midnight with a, you know, line of 500 people deep out front. Walk right up to the door, “give me my table.” We’re sittin’ next to Tara Reed and a couple of her friends. We’re sittin’ uh, you know, Christina Aguilera was doin’ whatever, like, I’m Christine Aguilera and I’m gonna sing… Cuba Gooding….We order probably you know three or four bottles of Cristal at $1000 dollars a bottle. They bring it out with, you know they’re walking through the crowd, they hold the bottles over their heads, they put those fire crackers and the sparklers; you know, the little cocktail waitresses, so you order four bottles of those. They’re walkin’ through the crowd of people. Everybody’s like, “Whoa! Who are the cool guys? We were the cool guys! You know what I mean? They gave us a black card, you know, this little card with my name on it. There’s probably ten of them in existence.”
5
We don’t have to guess what Glenn is thinking; he’s told us with great clarity: “We were the cool guys!” Glen wanted to be the cool guy who was seen as having a lot of money, who had the money to pay $1000 per bottle on champagne delivered very publically by “little waitresses”. He was somebody. And to be somebody meant having money and the status that accrues from being a profligate spender. After the financial crash, Glen lost everything. Here’s how Glen described how he became aware that his lifestyle was about to change: “This sounds obscene, but [I became aware that the market was turning] the first month that I got a $25,000 paycheck. And at this time, that didn’t cover my expenses. And so you’re sitting here, and you’re like: I just made $25,000 this month which is more than people make in six months, and that doesn’t cover my expenses. Now what do I do? Continued on page 6
BIG N E W S!
From Your House, To Ours A place to call their own, a warm community of friends, a nurturing environment to develop independence, the freedom to discover their true potential.
Breaking News! We’ve Merged! HARBORLIGHTSTONERIDGE MONTESSORI SCHOOL Your child is ready for the first school experience. At Harborlight-Stoneridge, we know the importance of investing in your child’s potential.
OPEN SCHOOLS March 7 & 14 9 - 11am
Guided by certified Montessori teachers, young children are provided with the unique opportunity to develop through their natural sense of wonder. Also by appointment. The warm and inviting classrooms are fully equipped with learning materials Please RSVP to 978.922.1008. necessary to nourish curious minds, inspire creativity, and foster self-confidence. Our curriculum is designed to meet the specific gifts and 243 Essex Street, Beverly talents of your child, from infancy through grade eight. www.harborlightmontessori.org
PARENT-CHILD PLAYGROUPS
Join Us! Saturday Mornings 9:00-10:30 Ages 2 1/2 –5 years No fee – please RSVP to 978.922.1008. This playgroup is open to families not already affiliated with Harborlight-Stoneridge Montessori School.
243 Essex Street, Beverly