In June of 2010, my best friend was facing a fraudulent foreclosure.
The bank with which he had a mortgage sold to a Florida bank. Instead of THAT bank taking over his monthly payments, Chase Home Finance, one of the many tentacles of JP Morgan, without a shred of evidence or legal legitimacy, comes begging for tribute.
He was NOT about to shell out hundreds of dollars each month to a PRETENDER, so he sent a letter demanding they show legal proof of their stance.
They failed to provide any. It was just "pay us because WE SAID SO."
He contacted the Florida bank who purchased the mortgage and they confirmed they bought the asset but DENIED they had any dealings with Chase.
Funny thing was, they did not ask to be paid.
The whole situation was just...odd.
To clear up the confusion, my friend found a Private Investigator who specialized in Forensic Mortgage Audits. This took some time to run down the paper trail.
While that was happening, Chase Home Robbery, er, "Finance", began foreclosure procedures with a flurry of illegal documents from 3 different law firms.
My buddy HAD to respond to the Court or else have his home stolen from beneath him. Doing so, he was having to shell out 100's in various fees, including Notary fees. I somehow had to join the fight. After all, this was my best friend.
I signed up for the one day Notary class, passed the exam, applied to the NC Secretary of State and badda bing, badda boom, your boy became a Notary Public.
The story of what happened in a 4-year cage match with Chase Home Robbery, er, "Finance", is a longer story fraught with fraud, abuse, and abject criminality by banks, law firms, and the local Clerk of Court.
Suffice it to say, I continued to renew my Commission and help people because I saw first-hand that a lot of Notaries were among the criminals who colluded to steal not just my buddy's home, but those of literally millions of hard-working Americans.
Fraud, fraud, everywhere.
Homes, cars, Estates, and Inheritances; nothing was immune to thievery.
The courts are demonstrably corrupt. Ditto the attorneys and bankers.
(Didn't Jesus flip some tables on a certain group of folks?)
Even the smallest of transactional scales, a private auto sale, is not immune to corruption.
And more often than not, a mere Notary is the only one standing between Truth and crime.
I know, I know, this may seem like I'm overly glamorizing the role of a Notary, but alas, these things are True.
The PRIMARY FUNCTION of a Notary is to prevent fraud.
Over the past 15 years, I have amassed a litany of stories from humdrum to heart-warming to triumphant to sad in the various (and not-so-sundry) Clients I've assisted.
Often, it's monotonous paper shuffling. At other times, it's a race against the clock as someone is fighting for their Life in a hospital ICU. Too many times I've been called upon to stop a greedy relative from dismantling a loved one's property, and thusly, a family as well.
Each and every time I've answered the call because I know what's on the line.
Don't get it twisted; being a Notary is not a job that will make you rich. The pay is quite low and only since the last 3 years have North Carolina Notaries been able to charge for gas mileage. It only took two lobbying groups and COVID to force the Governor to join the other 49 states to allow us Notaries to serve the wider Public.
If you've read this far, you deserve like, the Congressional Medal of Honor, or at the very least, a cookie. Or maybe biscuits and gravy. Or a giant tub of your favorite ice cream. Whatever your flavor...thanks!
While I'm not going to be the next King Solomon, I do have the luxury of having a clean conscience for the work that I do.
I love my work. I love helping people. Even when it breaks my heart knowing Heaven is about to shortly receive another Soul, I love what I do. I love being able to bring Peace to troubled hearts and finality to (what can often be) complex legal matters.
If you know me, then you know I have next to ZERO RESPECT for "duh gummint", and in my own way, being a Notary is my own private battle to balance the scales of injustice.
...and all I ask is a little bit of courtesy.
Somewhere along the way, courtesy stopped being common.
Neighbors don’t always look out for each other. A man’s word isn’t always a bond. A handshake doesn’t always mean anything. People shrug at obligations to others and care only about themselves.
I was reminded of this just today. I drove an hour out of my way to help someone. Waited another half hour. Called. Texted. Checked. Nothing. Ghosted.
All they had to do was say two words: “Don’t need.” Two words, and my gas, my time, my effort would’ve been spared.
But no. In 2025, a lot of folks don’t see other people’s time as valuable. It’s “me, me, me” and “gimme, gimme, gimme.” The little white lies, the selfishness, the trying to get one over on someone—it’s everywhere.
Somewhere, we traded honesty for convenience, respect for indifference, and community for competition.
The old ways, the simple rules that held families and towns together, got tossed aside for instant gratification and a quick win.
And yet…even with all that, there are still people who choose differently.
Even one honest word, one act of decency, one small thing done right can cut through the selfishness.
I’ve seen it. A stranger holding a door. A nurse staying late to comfort a family. A neighbor dropping off groceries. These aren’t headline stories, but they matter. They keep the world from completely falling apart.
It reminds me of what Proverbs says: “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.” Little acts of goodness open doors—sometimes literal, sometimes spiritual.
Courtesy might be rare, but it’s still contagious. It can pull other people up with it.
I’ll keep showing up. I’ll keep stamping my seal, answering the calls, standing firm in that small space where Truth meets fraud.
Even in a world that shrugs at lies and celebrates selfishness, God’s command hasn’t changed: love your neighbor as yourself.
Courtesy is just love in action.
I can’t fix the whole world. I can’t make everyone care. But I can keep my corner lit. I can choose honesty over convenience, kindness over ignoring someone, respect over being a jerk.
And if my small light sparks someone else, then the darkness doesn’t win.
Jesus said we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. That’s not just words. That’s a calling.
As it says in Matthew: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Courtesy may not be common anymore, but it’s never out of reach.
It lives or dies in the choices we make every day. And as long as I'm still kicking, I’ll choose it.
One act of decency, one honest moment, can ripple farther than we’ll ever know...