Ten years ago when I started blogging I realized that as a poor woman I was supposed to be an object of pity and that everyday of my life was supposed to be hell. I was shocked because NONE of the Poor women I knew lived that life. I looked at the pictures that media used for poor people, both black and white, are dirty with sad faces. People were stunned I wasn't sad and depressed. I don't have money but I have a full life. I don't know anyone born into poverty and even some who ended up impoverished live horrible lives.
Poor people work very hard, we complain about taxes (yes it hurts our pockets when they deduct payroll taxes. We do not want rich people's money we just want our taxes to go to Medicaid and Food Stamps instead of to Corporations or tax cuts. That makes us no different than the middle class and wealthy, looking out for our own interests. We are not fans of poor people who play the system and refuse to work living on the dole. We are more effective with getting them off welfare because we are their peers and shame from us is felt. Most of us raise our children to be moral and most of us care about our Children's education. We over indulge our kids at Christmas and vote. We enjoy our friends and we do not judge people by their race or income level. We don't judge people on Political Parties most of the time we stay out of that area. We make friends based on their character not things like race, income level, or Political parties. This enabled me to become friends with Jen, Carol, and Kim middle class Republican women and also Rosemary, Jess, and Amy middle class Democrats. All of these women enriched my lives. We are able to elect an Upper Class White Man as mayor based solely on who he is as a person.
Our lives are affected by poverty but it doesn't take over we take the hits and get on with our lives. We face Homelessness and overcome it without becoming sad. It's stressful but just one more obsticle to overcome. We may battle hunger and may require assistance but we get over it. We know that all we need to do is sound off the alarm to other poor people because the truth is no one helps the poor like other poor people. I once had to tell a middle class friend not to tell poor people she had no food in the house when she really meant she needed to go grocery shopping. She ended up having several bags of food and was embarrassed. I told her to keep the food and give it back to them when they needed it.
I'm usually a very positive person as is most of my friends. We sit in our kitchens or back yards and talk about our lives, jobs, kids, and men. We laugh and cry on each others shoulders. I may not have money but I have been blessed with a lot of good friends. I wouldn't change that either despite my struggles.
The next time you hear about poor people living horrible lives spend time with them and your discover we lack money not full lives full of happiness, sadness, struggle, good times, tradagy and love.
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