He ordered his fourth cup of coffee.  “Now, if you’re thinking of filing bankruptcy…” he began.  “Honest to God, I didn’t say that,” I countered.  “Come on! Just because I’m broke?  I’m going to the bank on Thursday to apply for a loan, maybe for three or four months.  I was hoping you could give me some tips about what to do, what to claim, all that.”  “Oh.  Well, that’s a little bit different.”  He took a sip.  “Do you own a new car?  You didn’t buy it used?”  “Yes,” I replied.  “There’s your collateral, right there.  Your car will do fine.”  What on earth did he mean?  “Do I have to stop driving?”  “No, you fool.  It’s in case they have to send a collection agency after you.  Some people take out loans and never pay them back, even when they can.”  “Really!”  That seemed pretty bad.  Still, with college tuitions being what they are and everything…prices are so ghastly high today.  It wouldn’t surprise me, for example, if Madelyn down the block was still trying to pay out her loan for her son’s college tuition over at Northwestern.  Her son lost out on a music scholarship and she just wasn’t able to afford the top-quality music education they offered, so she had to get a financial aid application.  Me?  I don’t have any children, just a tightwad ex-husband.  Just thinking about him made me want to order some coffee myself.