Two Dollars From Darkness
How close we came, why I keep the reminder, and why stopping is not an option
I keep two dollars on my whiteboard.
A few months ago, those were the literal last two dollars we had. Not symbolic. Not rounded. Actual. We had been budgeting $10 to $15 a day, cutting everything possible, until there was nothing left to cut.
Those two dollars were it.
One more day and we would not have eaten. Another day and the electricity would have been shut off. That is not a feeling or a metaphor. It is a calendar.
I keep them there because comfort erases memory.
I do this work full time. Writing, researching, publishing, and saying things most people will not say because it comes with real costs. I am not backed by a foundation, an NGO, or a political machine.
Right now, I need to come up with $3,000 within the next week.
Here is why, plainly. I owe $2,500 to my landlord. That amount includes current rent and a partial payment toward back rent. This is a timing gap, not a collapse. Work is ongoing, but expenses do not pause while you wait for income to clear.
I also want to thank my paid subscribers. Your support is the reason this work exists at all, and I don’t take that lightly.
If you read my work, share it, or believe independent voices matter, this is one of those moments where support is not symbolic. It is practical. It keeps a roof over our heads and allows the work to continue uninterrupted.
If you can help, thank you.
If you cannot, I understand.
Those two dollars are staying on that board. Not as a sob story. As a reminder of how close we were and why stopping is not an option.
Support this work
If this work matters to you, there are a few ways to help right now.
1) Become a paid subscriber
This keeps the lights on month to month and makes the work sustainable. https://mrchr.is/help
2) Make a one-time contribution
This helps close a short rent gap and keeps everything stable this week. https://mrchr.is/give
3) Join The Resistance Core
For those who want to materially support independent work at a higher level. This is how the work scales and survives long term.
Several members have stepped up at the $500 to $1200 level over the past year, and I’m deeply grateful for that support.
https://mrchr.is/resist
Thank you to everyone who reads, shares, and backs independent voices.
Having been self-employed half my work-life I truly understand what it is like going through what you are experiencing. On the one hand it is stressful, scary, and certainly insecure. On the other, those times and years taught me to be a careful manager of inconsistent income, to be frugal and cost conscious and to work smarter and better to improve and create steadier income.
I hope your readership is steadily increasing so you can continue your writing career. I applaud your independence and courage to rely on your own skills and abilities to provide your income. Wishing you the best!