Sanity Check
By super trooper
John Scalzi has an essay, a year old at this point, about being poor. Powerful:
Being poor is believing a GED actually makes a goddamned difference. Being poor is people angry at you just for walking around in the mall. Being poor is not taking the job because you can't find someone you trust to watch your kids. Being poor is the police busting into the apartment right next to yours. Being poor is not talking to that girl because she'll probably just laugh at your clothes.
Being poor is hoping you'll be invited for dinner. Being poor is a sidewalk with lots of brown glass on it.
Being poor is people thinking they know something about you by the way you talk. Being poor is needing that 35-cent raise. Being poor is your kid's teacher assuming you don't have any books in your home.
Being poor is six dollars short on the utility bill and no way to close the gap.
Being poor is crying when you drop the mac and cheese on the floor. Being poor is knowing you work as hard as anyone, anywhere. Being poor is people surprised to discover you're not actually stupid. Being poor is people surprised to discover you're not actually lazy. Being poor is a six-hour wait in an emergency room with a sick child asleep on your lap. Being poor is never buying anything someone else hasn't bought first.
Being poor is picking the 10 cent ramen instead of the 12 cent ramen because that's two extra packages for every dollar.
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