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Edited on Sat Oct-15-11 08:01 PM by McCamy Taylor
Today, the working poor went back to work at the office, because she could not afford to take any time off after a D&C. Luckily, her boss was understanding, and he let her take it easy. Her part time job has no benefits and no sick leave, and she could not afford to miss even a days pay. Things are tight right now. If it wasn’t for the local public hospital, she would still be bleeding. Her boss told her that he was proud of her and he admired her for her endurance. She smiled when he said it, but later that night, when she was soaking in the tub trying to ease the cramps, she could not help wishing that just once she could afford to be a little bit weak.
Today, the working poor got the news that one of her part time jobs was being cut back by ten hours a week. She is just barely getting by with what she makes from her two part time jobs. Now she will have to look for a third to make up the difference. And she will have to work twice as hard at the job that did all the cuts, because there will be one less person working with her during her shift.
Today, the working poor was told that she need not come back to work after her kidney stone surgery. Her employer rewrote her job description, and she no longer qualifies to do what she has been doing for ten years. She suspects that this is a round about way to fire her without cause, because she has been sick so much recently. But, she had no money to take care of the kidney stone, so she was hoping it would pass. Now she is unemployed and she is sitting on a mountain of medical bills.
Today, the working poor got some good news. The school district that laid her off last year at the age of 50 is hiring! Hiring substitute teachers with no benefits and a huge cut in salary, but at least she will be back in the classroom again. Flipping burgers is no life for a woman with a bachelors degree and twenty years of experience as a teacher. The school was forced to hire the substitutes to take up the slack after it laid off too many teachers. She is hoping that her temporary position will lead to a more permanent job, but she is not getting her hopes up. She understands that the district is getting a real bargain, replacing a bunch of teachers with a bunch of substitutes, many of whom are professional teachers like her desperate for the work.
Today, the working poor ate ramen noodles again for supper. This is the fifth time this week. She knows that all the carbs without protein is bad for her diabetes. She knows she should be eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. But broccoli is $1.25 a bunch (on special) while she can get five packs of noodles for a dollar. Right now, she has fifty cents in her pocket, and it has to last her until payday tomorrow.
Today, the working poor was passed over for promotion. She really needed the extra money to support her two kids, but her boss (a man ten years her junior) told her that she has missed too much work. She has taken off six days this year, each time to take one of her children to the county clinic where it’s first come first serve, and you typically have to wait all day. She is told that she is too unreliable, thanks to her family obligations, and the company needs someone who can give his all to the job. As she leaves his office, she wishes she could turn around and tell him “I quit!” That would show him. She has been doing the old manager’s work for almost four months, while her boss dicks around looking for a suitable replacement. If she could afford to quit, he would be in a real bind. But with two kids to feed, she is the one who is over a barrel.
Today, the working poor lost another tooth. A year ago, she was told to get a crown, but where was she going to get $750 for a tooth? The free dental clinic only does extractions. When all her teeth are gone, they will help her get dentures. Dentures! She is only 47.
Today, the working poor did not make it to work. She lives in the suburbs, where there is no public transportation. The engine of her car has a cracked cylinder. She does not have the money to fix it. She now has no way to get to work. Unless she can come up with a ride by tomorrow, her boss has told her not to bother showing up again. Without a job, she will never be able to fix her car, but without a car, she will be unable to look for work. She would ask her family, but her parents are retired on Social Security and her brother is out of work. If she moves to the city, her kids will have to change schools. And she will have to come up with a rental deposit---but if she had the money for a deposit, she would get her car fixed.
Today, the working poor was told she is overqualified for a full time position at a local grocery store. She was really hoping that she would get the job, which has benefits and insurance. Since her bank laid her off three years ago, she has been unable to find work in mortgage lending. Her bank blames the recession, but the CEO got a huge bonus this year, and the company has been contributing heavily to Super Pacs. The grocery job went to someone twenty years younger, with no work experience. Someone who “will not quit as soon as a better job becomes available.” She has to laugh at that last part. After three years, she knows her old job is not coming back.
Today, the working poor cried by herself in the bathroom. Her eight year old son told her what he wants for Christmas. There is no way she can afford the toy. If they are very, very lucky, he will get a random gift from the local Church. She remembers Christmas when she was young. Her parents always had a big tree and there were lots of gifts to unwrap. When she graduated from high school, she went to work for the same factory that employed her mom and dad. Seven years later, the company moved overseas, and now she is working for minimum wage. Her parents would help, but the same company defaulted on their pensions. Her husband is also struggling. His job was outsourced, and now he is trying to make a living as a salesman, but no one is buying in their town. Everyone is too broke. She tells herself that the spirit of Christmas is not about presents, it is about family. Too bad her kid sister is in jail for writing a hot check to pay the rent and her brother is homeless, and her parents are eating cat food.
Today, the working poor smiled for the first time in weeks when she caught a glimpse of Occupy Wall Street on the news. She could not watch the whole show. After feeding her kids, she had to leave for her night job at the 7-11. The store has been robbed three times in the last year. Her oldest boy always looks worried when she leaves. He is old enough to know the dangers. Some folks try to tell her that she is not really poor if she can afford a television. Those are folks who obviously do not know how much it would cost to hire a sitter.
Today, the working poor read the story of her life on the Internet. She does not have a computer at home, so she goes to the Library (used to be the Public Library, but “Public” sounds too socialist) to scour the Internet for jobs. The news story is not really about her. It’s about a woman who lives in a different state, but all the other details are the same. The factory that closed and moved to Asia. The employers who will only hire those who already have jobs. The house that was lost after $100,000 in interest payments. The husband who died from a heart attack, because the family lost its insurance when the wife lost her job. She reads about herself----and then she scrolls down and reads the nasty comments. She reads that her life story is a fake, a fabrication created by welfare queens to protect their cozy lifestyle. She reads that her story can not possibly be true, because it is too cliché. There are too many tales out there about jobs lost to outsourcing and spouses lost due to lack of insurance and homes lost---Nope, she is just a fiction, made up to inconvenience people who are a rich as sin but who want even more money. She grips the edges of the table. She suppresses the urge to scream aloud “I’m me, dammit. I’m here. This is my life.”
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