Monday
The economy is tanking and the price of fuel is appalling.
$50.00 at the supermarket gets you barely enough for a decent meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. Even vegetables are getting ridiculous.
Yearly health premiums for a family of five could conceivably buy a new car.
It’s maddening and frustrating as hell watching the complete devastation and ultimate obliteration of the dying middle class.
With mounting debt and a fast approaching winter heating season, some people are coming to terms with what it truly means to be poor.
I found an online essay called “Being Poor” written by a gentleman named John Scalzi.
Although I can’t relate to the essay in its entirety, there were several things that really made me think.
- Being poor is hoping the toothache goes away.
- Being poor is knowing you work as hard as anyone, anywhere.
- Being poor is running in place.
- Being poor is having to live with choices you didn’t know you made when you were 14 years old.
- Being poor is getting tired of people wanting you to be grateful.
- Being poor is knowing how hard it is to stop being poor.
To read Scalzi’s essay, click on the picture above.
I personally feel it’s a must read for everyone.
thanks for the link. a few years old, but perhaps more relevant than ever. required reading for sure…
I have so been down that road and back again (can be found on blog under homeless, which I was just two years ago…ahh, the memories).
It sucks, but again, life. Huz and I have found our way out of being poor into just being broke sometimes, and surprisingly, it’s okay.
Kids are healthy. Huz is healthy. I’m healthy, kind of. We’re still married, and reasonably in love considering.
And we still have our teeth, dammit.
(Although I don’t currently have health insurance, and I sure am hoping that large mass on my left cheek goes away soon.)
(So totally kidding about the mass.)
Families survive! Mine did! I’ve grown up to appreciate every little thing I have. I believe it made me a stronger person.
The world still needs to be more understanding of the poor. There are reasons people become that way….and contrary to belief…most people don’t like it very much.
What a great essay Scalzi wrote! Thanks for directing us to it, ~m!
Ever important, thought provoking and well worth sharing. Thank you.
Oh, and by the way, I’ve reposted that light bulb video on my copycat blog (Luv & Joy) and will also be posting it on Hate & Anger after midnight (reverse copycatting this time). Good stuff.
What an amazing essay. I’m printing it off for my children to read.
My family struggled when I was young and I learned many good lessons from it. I know I appreciate all that I have now, and all that I can give my children. I just hope my children realize how lucky they are to have what they have. It is hard to understand discomfort when all you have known is comfort.
Poverty is a choice.
Not one made by the poor but the ones who aren’t.
I was going to comment but Spaz’s comment blew me away.
Great post on a great essay.
Our family is definitely feeling the effects of the economy. I don’t know many who aren’t. While we’ve never been “rich,” we’ve always been comfortable, untiil recently. It’s pretty scary to see how quickly that comfort can go away.
I read somewhere a while back that quite a large percentage of Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless. I thought that seemed ridiculous before. Not now.
I lost my own small business to our failing economy. I would have lost my house also if I didn’t have such a generous daughter. She and my wasband paid my mortgage payments for almost a year and then she and her husband moved in with me so I could stay in my home of 35 years. Before my daughter moved in my sister’s husband was going to give me his bedroom and sleep on the couch so I would have a place to stay when I lost my house. I really am a fortunate person to have such a wonderful family to watch over me.
How I can relate to this! Let me count the ways Michael. Will have to go read it all….
I do every day.
I have to say I can relate to this… sad but true. I can relate because growing up I had very little… Now that I am still young the little that I have is my own and I work for it very hard. I can not say that I am still very poor, yet I know about medical issues. I know about heating issues. I know that I get scared when I see people I love unable to provide for themselves and it hurts to know there is so much excess in the world. It is a funny thing, a lesson I learned young… I do not envy for material things… in that way I am blessed. I see things for what they are and what is really important. The link above is touching. I feel many do not realize the intensity of the issues and some are even more severe than that… for now we must simply live and learn. One day nothing will matter… all that we have, all material will be irrelevant… it will be what we received from life and what life received from us that will matter… we will all be rich with life in the end, no matter how poor one may have been…
Im used to being poor, financially . .
But my family and friends, my loved ones . . . . make me the richest of all.