Maybe we need a category about class privilege.

You know, interesting things happen when you’re broke for a little while.  It reminds me a bit of OCS, to be honest.  Same mind-clarifying, priority-unfucking, learn what’s really important to you sort of thing goes on.  We’ve made no particular secret of the fact that things are rough at the moment.  We’ve also made no particular secret of the fact that the both of us are working very, very long hours to try to change that.

What fascinates me, though, is that once it’s gone on for a while (have you ever tried doing anything instantly?  there are 7 layers of nonsense in the way, every way you turn), people’s perceptions of you start to change, and once they see you as sufficiently “other,” it’s pretty much open season.  And fending that shit off is something that neither of us has the time or the mental energy to do.  Because we’re busy working.  Even if everyone knows that can’t possibly be true because we don’t appear daily at the Buy More and the Weinerlicious.

That’s not money in your hand if it didn’t go through corporate hands first.  We’ve trained the clerks at the grocery to know the difference.  They’ve got instructions not to let you spend it.

You see, the funny thing is that both of us are moving at maximum speed at the moment, so we haven’t had a chance to make an extra-special point of saying, look at us, see how hard we’re working! My big ol’ main point, though, and where the class privilege bit really comes into it, is that WE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO.  There is absolutely nothing about falling out of the middle class--temporarily or not--that requires that one spend precious time justifying one’s every move to an anxious society.  NOTHING. 

Let me repeat that: THERE IS NOTHING INHERENTLY WRONG WITH NOT HAVING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT RANDOM PASSERSBY THINK YOU OUGHT TO HAVE.  Being broke does not, in any way, mean that we have to explain or justify our lifestyle, our political opinions, our parenting, our choice of vehicle, our internet access (you’d be shocked at how much money I alone make online), or any other gorram stupid thing I’ve seen people demand of folks an economic rung or two below them.  BECAUSE IF IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS WHEN IT LOOKS OK FROM THE OUTSIDE, IT’S STILL NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS IF IT DOESN’T.

The extent to which people think it is is a particularly ugly artifact of the welfare state. 

Not everybody who makes do with one car is on the dole, even if it’s illegal NOT to be in this gorram pathetic excuse for a state.  You want to know what fine, upstanding citizens we are?  Process the fact that since we don’t have the 1000 bucks a month right now for health insurance, we don’t have any.  We haven’t gone whining to the state, even though Mitt Romney made it illegal *not* to.  Where the fuck is the way to do right in THAT scenario?  (Makin’ our way, the only way we know how/ And that’s just a little bit more than the law will allow.) (Sorry.) (No, I’m not.)

I had more to say, but it’ll go over heads and under feet anyway, because it’ll sound like “blah, blah, blah” to all of you who have already decided that it makes more sense to redistribute people’s lives so that the world looks pretty for you than to grant that other people are people and deal with the consequences of that realization in reality.  Don’t let little ol’ me get in the way while you glory in the spoils.  And I’ll be over here, working my ass off so that you can have your cut, while you sneer at me for putting in a visible effort the whole fucking time.

If I weren’t an atheist, I think I’d be praying for you.  All of you.

1. By the same token there is nothing wrong with needing help sometimes. That does not make you like the tons of people who take advantage of the welfare system!  I know that a lot of people on welfare have more then one car and live better then some “middle class” people.  The problem is the system doesn’t help the down but fighting there way up folks, But is there for the “I just don’t feel like I should have to work” people.  My Kids were on mass health because my work didn’t provide insurance, And I could not afford to pay for it myself.
   If people care about you then they should not judge you but except you for who you are. If they don’t then F%#k them anyways you don’t need them.

   <Hugs Deb>

   Posted by Wayne  on  02/10  at  02:31 PM  from  Ohio

2. I have to agree w/Wayne.

   “If people care about you then they should not judge you but except you for who you are. If they don’t then F%#k them anyways you don’t need them. “

   it is NOBODY’S PLACE to judge anyone for anything. Until you walk a mile in someone’s shoes or even if you havent you dont know their life we have NO RIGHT to judge.

   As for the welfare thing..........i replied in Sharons that i am all for getting help by the state UNTIL you have my ex sis in law on welfare sporting a new set of ta tas and showing nice jewelry.  Sorry that’s NOT what it’s for!

   Posted by  on  02/11  at  08:42 AM  from  Mass

3. Ditto Wayne and Trace.  I hadn’t thought about it as literally taking your own money back that was stolen from you in the first place.  But, it makes complete sense now.  And, I didn’t mean to sound judgemental if I did.  ; )

   Posted by Sharon  on  02/11  at  09:18 AM  from  Middleboro, MA
Page 1 of 1 pages

<< Back to main