With the help and advice of a close friend, I made the decision to file for bankruptcy a few months ago to clear up all of my debt and give myself a fresh start.  I had made some bad decisions, gotten carried away on some silly purchases and started falling behind on my credit card bills before I had even gotten laid off.  One thing led to another and before I knew it I was on the fast track to the poor house.  Well there had unfortunately been a few changes and alterations made to the old bankruptcy laws that I wasn’t aware of, and now it appears that I’ll be moving back in with my parents – filing for bankruptcy no longer prevents you from getting evicted.  My buddy assured me, “man don’t sweat it, just file for bankruptcy – you’ll get to keep your car, keep your apartment and you’ll be able to clear up your credit over the next few years, it’s really a pretty sweet deal.”  My buddy was wrong, when you file for bankruptcy now, you don’t necessarily get to keep your apartment, or your stuff.  I guess it serves me right for listening to a guy who still lives with his parents at the ripe old age of thirty-two.