Anonymous
08/14/2012 14:21
Subject: Tell me about being poor
I grew up poor in DC. My parents chose to have a large family, live on one income, and to have that income be from creative work. So. Yeah. We had less money than anyone we knew who wasn't receiving assistance. Mom and Dad brought a lot of competence, creativity and energy to making a good life without a lot of money, and mostly we had an enviable childhood.
Do you shop at WalMart? No. There weren't any and my mom would have avoided them, because they're depressing. Most things were from the thrift store, yard sales, etc., filled in with sale stuff from Sears and the department stores. They also garbage-picked within reason - a cool lamp or a bike that needed a few repairs. My mom had an acute and sophisticated sense of quality and avoided buying crap whenever possible. Better used or go without than junk. She made thrifting an education and an adventure. I still thrift for fun.
Do you eat fast food all the time? Ha! Maybe once or twice a year, as a treat when traveling. There was occasionally Chinese or pizza later on, when Dad earned a little more. My mom grew up with no cooking skills but became a highly competent, self-taught whole foods cook. They raised a large organic garden and bought bulk foods from Glut co-op. It did always bother my mom that they bought industrially-raised meat.
How big is your home? Four bedrooms, one bath, 9 people, on a double lot. It was condemned; they paid cash and slowly rebuilt it. It's beautiful now, but most of that happened after I left. This was the single most important decision they made - without this house, we would have been in a depressing, too-small, low-rent apartment somewhere, and would not have had gas money for adventures or any extras at all. We heated with wood and the kids had chamber pots because it was just too cold to go downstairs and pee in the middle of winter - the worst part of the whole experience, and I was so jealous when they finally put in an upstairs bathroom (after I left). There was a sensual dimension to the woodstove and the contrasts in temperature that I still miss sometimes - still like the sensation of breathing cold air while snuggled up in blankets. Not having AC on the worst hot days really, really sucked, though.
What do you DO on weekends? The capital DO makes this question especially sad. Has it never occurred to you, OP, that not knowing what to do with yourself as a free person in this great big beautiful world is some of the worst poverty there is? We had friends and family over all the time, did most of the free activities in DC and the region. We had a huge yard with a swingset and one of those cheap standup pools, and were allowed to really use most of it - dig holes, build with bricks and wood. Rode our used bikes all over the neighborhood and explored the woods, parks and campuses nearby. Learned to forage for mushrooms and berries. We each had a little garden. There was a ton of creative play - my mom thrifted wonderful dressup stuff and did our makeup. On rainy days we made stuff out of cardboard boxes, played games, learned to cook, did handwork. We had lots of good basic toys - blocks and art supplies, basic musical instruments, science equipment. Read and listened to music constantly - the library was really important. We did watch TV and movies, but it was mostly a last resort. We eventually got a used computer, did basic programming and had one video game. We were almost never bored and usually having a lot of fun.
Where do you go on vacations? To visit family. Large extended family, so this included places in the country and occasionally going to the beach. From those places, we did day trips to NYC and other cities.
Do you have very few clothes? Shoes? Clothing was a struggle. It's a lot easier to thrift fashionable kids' clothes now, but at the time, textile manufacturing was still in the process of leaving the country, so kids clothes weren't cheap and abundant the way they are now. I didn't need or want a ton, but I always had just a little less than I really needed to look decent in public school. When we finally went to Catholic school, uniforms were a gift, but I still had poor-kid shoes. As a teenager, I really struggled, both because I couldn't afford what everyone else was wearing, and because I thought those clothes were boring and ugly anyway. The Limited Shaker deep-V sweaters, Guess jeans and Mia flats - shudder. I hated them but I wanted them, too, because there were so many ways I already didn't fit in at my private school. The 80s pretty much sucked for nonconformists who weren't punk. Grunge hadn't happened yet, and there was none of this Pinterest love for creativity in fashion. Gradually I got more confident about wearing vintage clothes and combining what I liked, but there was also a lot of fuck you up in there.
If you're too poor to go out, what do you do to get together with friends? Have an awesome time at our own goddamned dinner table, like most of Italy. Duh.
Do you have any friends who are well off? Yes, especially in high school. We also had extended family who were very wealthy. It wasn't an issue, but I avoided people who were clueless or insensitive.
What do you do for fun? This is the third iteration of this question, so you get a new answer: make fun of rich kids who think they're better because their parents had/made money.
What do you think is the qualifier that makes a person poor? Really worrying about the basic necessities of life.
Do your kids know you're poor? We did.
What do they do after school? We came home to Mom. Played. Read. Some of us did sports in middle and high school. I worked for scholarship and spending money beginning at 14.
Do they get teased in school? Yes, we did. The subtler stuff in high school was worse - few things infuriate me more than someone who grew up with unearned privilege and doesn't realize that that's the only difference. Especially when they're boring and kind of dumb. Oooh, I hate that shit. One of the few traits I genuinely dislike. Early on I was humiliated by this attitude, but by the end of high school I could see what my family had that a lot of these kids didn't, and I was proud and protective.
The big scary issue was health care. Health insurance options for the self-employed have always sucked and are even worse in DC. The family was nearly bankrupted by one major injury, and my parents only had health insurance intermittently. My mom went without needed dental care for a while, and she died earlier this year because her cancer wasn't caught in time, when it was highly curable. My parents never asked for a handout and took care of their health, and if you want a punch in the face, complain about the Affordable Care Act and explain to me that it's OK for 47 million people to be left out of the private system. I am a huge supporter of single-payer healthcare.
The upside is that very few financial issues scare me. I can live on very little and not feel deprived. My husband, in contrast, came from a family that had some severe downturns and didn't know how to handle them. It took him years to be open to thrifting, which was a cause of great shame growing up. His parents couldn't cook and he still gags at the the thought of gubmit cheese. They lived in the suburbs and it was all about keeping up appearances. Those parts of his childhood sound so miserable to me, but they were probably in better shape financially than my family ever was.
Do you shop at WalMart? No. There weren't any and my mom would have avoided them, because they're depressing. Most things were from the thrift store, yard sales, etc., filled in with sale stuff from Sears and the department stores. They also garbage-picked within reason - a cool lamp or a bike that needed a few repairs. My mom had an acute and sophisticated sense of quality and avoided buying crap whenever possible. Better used or go without than junk. She made thrifting an education and an adventure. I still thrift for fun.
Do you eat fast food all the time? Ha! Maybe once or twice a year, as a treat when traveling. There was occasionally Chinese or pizza later on, when Dad earned a little more. My mom grew up with no cooking skills but became a highly competent, self-taught whole foods cook. They raised a large organic garden and bought bulk foods from Glut co-op. It did always bother my mom that they bought industrially-raised meat.
How big is your home? Four bedrooms, one bath, 9 people, on a double lot. It was condemned; they paid cash and slowly rebuilt it. It's beautiful now, but most of that happened after I left. This was the single most important decision they made - without this house, we would have been in a depressing, too-small, low-rent apartment somewhere, and would not have had gas money for adventures or any extras at all. We heated with wood and the kids had chamber pots because it was just too cold to go downstairs and pee in the middle of winter - the worst part of the whole experience, and I was so jealous when they finally put in an upstairs bathroom (after I left). There was a sensual dimension to the woodstove and the contrasts in temperature that I still miss sometimes - still like the sensation of breathing cold air while snuggled up in blankets. Not having AC on the worst hot days really, really sucked, though.
What do you DO on weekends? The capital DO makes this question especially sad. Has it never occurred to you, OP, that not knowing what to do with yourself as a free person in this great big beautiful world is some of the worst poverty there is? We had friends and family over all the time, did most of the free activities in DC and the region. We had a huge yard with a swingset and one of those cheap standup pools, and were allowed to really use most of it - dig holes, build with bricks and wood. Rode our used bikes all over the neighborhood and explored the woods, parks and campuses nearby. Learned to forage for mushrooms and berries. We each had a little garden. There was a ton of creative play - my mom thrifted wonderful dressup stuff and did our makeup. On rainy days we made stuff out of cardboard boxes, played games, learned to cook, did handwork. We had lots of good basic toys - blocks and art supplies, basic musical instruments, science equipment. Read and listened to music constantly - the library was really important. We did watch TV and movies, but it was mostly a last resort. We eventually got a used computer, did basic programming and had one video game. We were almost never bored and usually having a lot of fun.
Where do you go on vacations? To visit family. Large extended family, so this included places in the country and occasionally going to the beach. From those places, we did day trips to NYC and other cities.
Do you have very few clothes? Shoes? Clothing was a struggle. It's a lot easier to thrift fashionable kids' clothes now, but at the time, textile manufacturing was still in the process of leaving the country, so kids clothes weren't cheap and abundant the way they are now. I didn't need or want a ton, but I always had just a little less than I really needed to look decent in public school. When we finally went to Catholic school, uniforms were a gift, but I still had poor-kid shoes. As a teenager, I really struggled, both because I couldn't afford what everyone else was wearing, and because I thought those clothes were boring and ugly anyway. The Limited Shaker deep-V sweaters, Guess jeans and Mia flats - shudder. I hated them but I wanted them, too, because there were so many ways I already didn't fit in at my private school. The 80s pretty much sucked for nonconformists who weren't punk. Grunge hadn't happened yet, and there was none of this Pinterest love for creativity in fashion. Gradually I got more confident about wearing vintage clothes and combining what I liked, but there was also a lot of fuck you up in there.
If you're too poor to go out, what do you do to get together with friends? Have an awesome time at our own goddamned dinner table, like most of Italy. Duh.
Do you have any friends who are well off? Yes, especially in high school. We also had extended family who were very wealthy. It wasn't an issue, but I avoided people who were clueless or insensitive.
What do you do for fun? This is the third iteration of this question, so you get a new answer: make fun of rich kids who think they're better because their parents had/made money.
What do you think is the qualifier that makes a person poor? Really worrying about the basic necessities of life.
Do your kids know you're poor? We did.
What do they do after school? We came home to Mom. Played. Read. Some of us did sports in middle and high school. I worked for scholarship and spending money beginning at 14.
Do they get teased in school? Yes, we did. The subtler stuff in high school was worse - few things infuriate me more than someone who grew up with unearned privilege and doesn't realize that that's the only difference. Especially when they're boring and kind of dumb. Oooh, I hate that shit. One of the few traits I genuinely dislike. Early on I was humiliated by this attitude, but by the end of high school I could see what my family had that a lot of these kids didn't, and I was proud and protective.
The big scary issue was health care. Health insurance options for the self-employed have always sucked and are even worse in DC. The family was nearly bankrupted by one major injury, and my parents only had health insurance intermittently. My mom went without needed dental care for a while, and she died earlier this year because her cancer wasn't caught in time, when it was highly curable. My parents never asked for a handout and took care of their health, and if you want a punch in the face, complain about the Affordable Care Act and explain to me that it's OK for 47 million people to be left out of the private system. I am a huge supporter of single-payer healthcare.
The upside is that very few financial issues scare me. I can live on very little and not feel deprived. My husband, in contrast, came from a family that had some severe downturns and didn't know how to handle them. It took him years to be open to thrifting, which was a cause of great shame growing up. His parents couldn't cook and he still gags at the the thought of gubmit cheese. They lived in the suburbs and it was all about keeping up appearances. Those parts of his childhood sound so miserable to me, but they were probably in better shape financially than my family ever was.
Anonymous
08/03/2012 20:18
Subject: Tell me about being poor
I spent quite a few years as what would certainly qualify as poor, after my parents divorced in the 70s leaving my mother with no support and minimum wage (or less) jobs. We couldn't afford a car, and often ate crackers and iced tea for dinner on the last night or two before payday. Spam was a luxury in our house (in a casserole with pineapple on top).
I worked jobs before (morning paper route) and after school that helped pay the bills.
I had a fabulous childhood. Didn't shop at Walmart because we didn't have any such stores around. Sears catalog was where we shopped if we had money. No fast food -- I could count on one hand the number of times I ate food that didn't come from my mother's or another family member's kitchen before turning 18. Way too expensive -- even McDs -- and there were no such places nearby my tiny town.
Bottom line: I had a fabulous childhood, think of myself as insanely fortunate for having it, and wouldn't trade it for the world.
I worked jobs before (morning paper route) and after school that helped pay the bills.
I had a fabulous childhood. Didn't shop at Walmart because we didn't have any such stores around. Sears catalog was where we shopped if we had money. No fast food -- I could count on one hand the number of times I ate food that didn't come from my mother's or another family member's kitchen before turning 18. Way too expensive -- even McDs -- and there were no such places nearby my tiny town.
Bottom line: I had a fabulous childhood, think of myself as insanely fortunate for having it, and wouldn't trade it for the world.
Anonymous
08/03/2012 19:34
Subject: Tell me about being poor
I grow up in the projects of SE, DC. My Dad was not in the home.; my Mom was on public assistance (welfare and food stamps). My stepdad was also in the home (he was a cook, but a "functional" drug addict, so not sure how much money he actually contributed to the home). To answer your questions:
Do you shop at WalMart?---
We didn't growing up. They weren't convenient to get to...we mostly shopped at convenience stores and/or Discount Mart.
Do you eat fast food all the time?--
-No, but we sometimes ate at a nearby Chinese carry-out. Most food was in-house because my Mom was on food stamps.
How big is your home? -
We lived in a 2 bedroom "townhome" type of bldg. We were a family of 6.
What do you DO on weekends? ---
We played outside. These are some of my fondest childhood memories and I'm sad that my middle-class kids don't have this experience.
Where do you go on vacations?---
We didn't.
Do you have very few clothes? Shoes? ---
Not a lot, but can't remember going without. The clothes weren't the latest and weren't of good quality, but we had clothes.
If you're too poor to go out, what do you do to get together with friends?----
I was a child; we played outside.
Do you have any friends who are well off? ----
No. We grew up in the projects. Almost all of our friends were in the similar positions.
What do you do for fun?---
Played outside. We also had a lot of outdoor BBQs, cookouts, etc. These block parties were AWESOME (until the occasional gunfire started).
What do you think is the qualifier that makes a person poor?----
My mother was on welfare and plus just really bad with money. My bio Dad was also addicted to drugs and wasn't around much to help financially. I have these same terrible spending habits. I hope my children do better.
Do your kids know you're poor? ---
I was a child; I didn't know I was poor.
What do they do after school? ---
I played outside.
Do they get teased in school? ----
I didn't get teased for being poor (I did get teased for other reasons though)
Do you shop at WalMart?---
We didn't growing up. They weren't convenient to get to...we mostly shopped at convenience stores and/or Discount Mart.
Do you eat fast food all the time?--
-No, but we sometimes ate at a nearby Chinese carry-out. Most food was in-house because my Mom was on food stamps.
How big is your home? -
We lived in a 2 bedroom "townhome" type of bldg. We were a family of 6.
What do you DO on weekends? ---
We played outside. These are some of my fondest childhood memories and I'm sad that my middle-class kids don't have this experience.
Where do you go on vacations?---
We didn't.
Do you have very few clothes? Shoes? ---
Not a lot, but can't remember going without. The clothes weren't the latest and weren't of good quality, but we had clothes.
If you're too poor to go out, what do you do to get together with friends?----
I was a child; we played outside.
Do you have any friends who are well off? ----
No. We grew up in the projects. Almost all of our friends were in the similar positions.
What do you do for fun?---
Played outside. We also had a lot of outdoor BBQs, cookouts, etc. These block parties were AWESOME (until the occasional gunfire started).
What do you think is the qualifier that makes a person poor?----
My mother was on welfare and plus just really bad with money. My bio Dad was also addicted to drugs and wasn't around much to help financially. I have these same terrible spending habits. I hope my children do better.
Do your kids know you're poor? ---
I was a child; I didn't know I was poor.
What do they do after school? ---
I played outside.
Do they get teased in school? ----
I didn't get teased for being poor (I did get teased for other reasons though)
Anonymous
08/03/2012 19:27
Subject: Tell me about being poor
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:20:40 - ugh. Could you be more condescending?
- Sidwell grad
Ugh, maybe you should look up condescending in the dictionary, Sidwell grad, it'll be next to your picture.
Sidwell sounds like a blast.
Anonymous
08/03/2012 19:03
Subject: Tell me about being poor
Anonymous wrote:The people shopping at Walmart and eating fast food are probably not the poorest or the poor, they at least have $ to spend, I'm pretty sure if you are truly poor you would forgo the q-tips so you can buy food
I have family that is poor, they get a lot of food from a church near them (they wont accept it form us) and they get their clothes at the salvation army
One thing I have noticed is that they do NOT drink water, ever. Which confuses me since it's almost free, but the entire family will only drink soda
Does the tap water taste bad?
Anonymous
08/03/2012 09:58
Subject: Tell me about being poor
Anonymous wrote:My family has been lucky to always be well off, and this is one of those things I could never ever bring up with anyone I know, but am secretly fascinated by poor people and wonder about so many aspects of their lives.
I grew up dirt poor on a farm in rural Appalachia. It was wonderful.
Do you shop at WalMart? No then, shopped at Big Lots and Value City. Cheaper than Walmart. Now I shop at Walmart and Sam's. I still buy hand soap, etc. from Big Lots. I can't see throwing good money away for soap.
Do you eat fast food all the time? No, then and now. When I was a kid, we got one trip to McD's per year each, for a Happy Meal on our birthday. I haven't eaten at McD's in years. My dad was a self-employed construction worker and did remodel a McD's once, though, and they gave him a lot of expired happy meal toys for us. I sat in the booth while he worked after elementary school and played with fry guys. I kept them for many years.
How big is your home? Then, 3 BR farmhouse. Now, 3800 sf modern.
What do you DO on weekends? On Saturdays we got up at 7 a.m. and worked on the farm until 5 p.m. In the summer, on the garden, fields or animals. In winter we cleared new fields and made repairs. Saturday evenings we could read or watch the 2 channels we had. Sunday we went to church in the morning, ate lunch and worked from 2-5. Now we take our son to different local events and places. Hiking, playgrounds, etc. Stuff we never did when I was a kid. I do worry about it because I don't want him to grow up too soft and entitled so we do yardwork, etc. and he "helps."
Where do you go on vacations? Then, we didn't. Now, to see family, the Caribbean, Europe.
Do you have very few clothes? Shoes? Then, a couple pairs of jeans and shorts, maybe 10 shirts, a pair of school shoes and a pair of work boots. Most hand me downs from my brother. Now, I still have very few clothes. I have about a weeks' worth of business attire and another weeks' worth of play clothes, and get around a pair of shoes per year. My running shoes I got before I got married years ago but the holes are small so I haven't bought a new pair yet, though I've been thinking about it for a year or so. I don't like to waste money still and I don't like to buy shoes I am not totally in love with.
If you're too poor to go out, what do you do to get together with friends? Eat, chat on the porch. When I was a teen, we watched a lot of movies on our VCR. The first time I was ever in a movie theatre I was 17.
Do you have any friends who are well off? Yes.
What do you do for fun? Read, work outside on projects. I find working peaceful and am very handy.
What do you think is the qualifier that makes a person poor? You know it when you see it, as Justice Stewart wrote in the old obscenity case.
Do your kids know you're poor? Mine has no understanding whatsoever of my childhood. My family is still poor, however my son thinks they are hugely lucky to have Tractors! Land! Cows!
What do they do after school? Then -- we came home by ourselves, ate a snack and did assigned tasks around the farm until 6ish, then I cooked dinner. My dad got home 6:30 or 7, we ate and then either worked until dark or rested/read. Some days we were allowed to goof off and go fishing or something, at least one day per week.
Do they get teased in school? Then -- no. Lots of other poor kids in school and we had more than many. Plus, we were strong and could kick your a$$.
I always watch movies about really poor people and this whole lifestyle just fascinates me.
Anonymous
08/03/2012 08:05
Subject: Tell me about being poor
Teen mom is not really reality tv
Anonymous
08/03/2012 07:49
Subject: Tell me about being poor
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My family has been lucky to always be well off, and this is one of those things I could never ever bring up with anyone I know, but am secretly fascinated by poor people and wonder about so many aspects of their lives.
Do you shop at WalMart?
Do you eat fast food all the time?
How big is your home?
What do you DO on weekends?
Where do you go on vacations?
Do you have very few clothes? Shoes?
If you're too poor to go out, what do you do to get together with friends?
Do you have any friends who are well off?
What do you do for fun?
What do you think is the qualifier that makes a person poor?
Do your kids know you're poor?
What do they do after school?
Do they get teased in school?
I always watch movies about really poor people and this whole lifestyle just fascinates me.
What do you watch about really poor people? Slumdog Millionaire? Teen Mom?
The girls on Teen Mom are making about $300,000 a year for being on that show right now. Of course, when the show goes off that will end, but for the moment, they are certainly NOT poor, especially because most of them live in places with low cost of living (Tennessee, Indiana, South Dakota, West Virginia are a few I can think of). Amber, the one arrested for DV and recently sentenced to prison, reported an income of $380,000 in 2010. She's not poor.
Anonymous
08/03/2012 01:53
Subject: Tell me about being poor
Anonymous wrote:My family has been lucky to always be well off, and this is one of those things I could never ever bring up with anyone I know, but am secretly fascinated by poor people and wonder about so many aspects of their lives.
Do you shop at WalMart?
Do you eat fast food all the time?
How big is your home?
What do you DO on weekends?
Where do you go on vacations?
Do you have very few clothes? Shoes?
If you're too poor to go out, what do you do to get together with friends?
Do you have any friends who are well off?
What do you do for fun?
What do you think is the qualifier that makes a person poor?
Do your kids know you're poor?
What do they do after school?
Do they get teased in school?
I always watch movies about really poor people and this whole lifestyle just fascinates me.
What do you watch about really poor people? Slumdog Millionaire? Teen Mom?
Anonymous
08/02/2012 22:38
Subject: Tell me about being poor
I think people who are middle class really have no idea of what it is like to have no money - to really worry about money down to the penny. I grew up a hair above poor. we didn't want for the basics, like food, and we had vacations, but there were no extras. Both my parents grew up poor. And by poor I mean make tomato soup with ketchup poor, pick up trash by the side of the road poor. That thread of poor has lingered, and i definitely have money issues now.
My husband grew up solidly middle class. He has no understand ing of that money advice - consider whether it's something you WANT or something you NEED before you think about buying it. If he wants it, he buys it, though within reason.
I think upper middle class doesn't understand that for the poor, it's think about whether you need something now, can put it off for later, or can really do without. I lived for a long time on stretching out the end of the toothpaste tube for a few extra days until the next paycheck would come. Or taking home a roll of toilet paper from work since I wasn't getting paid for a few days.
I also shake my head at people who say, oh, I can't get out of Target without spending $100 every time, hahaha! Because if you don't have it, you walk into Target and finger the merchandise and dream of matching towels, but you buy your one tube of toothpaste, the toilet paper, and then you get out of there. Cause that's all the money you have.
My husband grew up solidly middle class. He has no understand ing of that money advice - consider whether it's something you WANT or something you NEED before you think about buying it. If he wants it, he buys it, though within reason.
I think upper middle class doesn't understand that for the poor, it's think about whether you need something now, can put it off for later, or can really do without. I lived for a long time on stretching out the end of the toothpaste tube for a few extra days until the next paycheck would come. Or taking home a roll of toilet paper from work since I wasn't getting paid for a few days.
I also shake my head at people who say, oh, I can't get out of Target without spending $100 every time, hahaha! Because if you don't have it, you walk into Target and finger the merchandise and dream of matching towels, but you buy your one tube of toothpaste, the toilet paper, and then you get out of there. Cause that's all the money you have.
Anonymous
08/02/2012 21:27
Subject: Tell me about being poor
I remember the fights about money and my dad taking early retirement too early. My to-be-ex wife has said I have money issues.
Anonymous
08/02/2012 18:44
Subject: Tell me about being poor
I was actually surprised to see all these posts from people who still consider themselves poor on DCUM. Recalling that 'what is your HHI?" thread from a while back, when it looked like a majority of posters here were from 2 lawyer households.
Grew up camping in the High Sierras, or visiting relatives, or going to a cabin my grampa built himself right after WWII. Went to the beach on day trips. Always thought of my family as outdoorsy, it never occured to me until later that my parents couldn't afford a hotel for week. The places we went looked like Ansel Adams photos, and we return there now but meet up at a big nice rented vacation home.
You don't need a lot of money to explore a lake shore or go fishing. And those are still the things I like to do best.
I did know we were poor, because we never had enough money at back-to-school time and sometimes we ran out of fresh food at the end of the month and would make pancakes for dinner.
Grew up camping in the High Sierras, or visiting relatives, or going to a cabin my grampa built himself right after WWII. Went to the beach on day trips. Always thought of my family as outdoorsy, it never occured to me until later that my parents couldn't afford a hotel for week. The places we went looked like Ansel Adams photos, and we return there now but meet up at a big nice rented vacation home.
You don't need a lot of money to explore a lake shore or go fishing. And those are still the things I like to do best.
I did know we were poor, because we never had enough money at back-to-school time and sometimes we ran out of fresh food at the end of the month and would make pancakes for dinner.
Anonymous
08/02/2012 18:36
Subject: Tell me about being poor
Anonymous wrote:20:40 - ugh. Could you be more condescending?
- Sidwell grad
Ugh, maybe you should look up condescending in the dictionary, Sidwell grad, it'll be next to your picture.
Anonymous
08/02/2012 10:38
Subject: Re:Tell me about being poor
I want to thank those of you who have shared your stories. I hope you've helped to open the eyes of a few DCUMers. Maybe they will have a little more understanding about what less fortunate people are going through, and feel inspired to help someone in need.
Anonymous
08/02/2012 10:34
Subject: Re:Tell me about being poor
Why? I was happier then than I am now, and I have a lot more money now!
Seriously! I grew up in a relatively poor household and now am a doctor married to a doctor. All my siblings are physicians as well. By no means are any of us happier now. We were just talking about this when we were last all together.
As children we shopped at Walmart, bought ALL our clothing at Goodwill, never ate out aside from a Chinese place my parents liked, saw maybe one movie per year, never took vacations aside from day trips to the beach and an occasional week of camping, etc And yet, I had an amazing childhood--- we read tons of books, played outside constantly, spent summers at the public pool, gardened, watched silly cartoons, went to church, had lots of friends over for simple dinners,etc. It was a fantastic childhood.
This is me, too, except sibs and I have different professions. And we got our 1 pair of back-to-school vinyl shoes at K-Mart, since Walmart didn't really exist in the 1970s.
My current standard of living is about to go down abruptly because my congenitally unhappy H is dumping me. Whenever I feel panicky about that ( and I admit, I've grown used to creature comforts that our HHI has permitted), I remember how happy I was as a LMC-poor kid.
I've lost sight of those simple joys, I admit it. And I'm getting them back, dammit.