In my last year at Millersville I took two classes that I find myself thinking about as a work my two little jobs and remain well under the poverty line: Comm 401 with Dr. Greg Seigworth and Existential Literature with Dr. Ian Carballo.
In Comm 401 we read books, essays and had discussions about consumerism, capitalism and the idea of work. While taking this class I was also reading a CrimeThink books called Days of War Nights of Love, which raged against today's consumerist ideals. In Existential Literature we sought authenticity and encountered literature that (though not specifically existentialist) dealt with the work-a-day world: it is winter, how will I heat my house? what will I eat? how long will it take me to travel to work? if my car is out of gas, how will I get to work? These are all mundane questions, but they are authentic. These are the questions that have been constantly on my mind since I have been working 40 hours a week at an average of $8.75 an hour. I am one of the working poor.
When the economy started tanking several years ago, then-President Bush encouraged everyone to keep shopping to bolster the economy. But those that work in retail and similar fields, service industries that are capable of keeping our economy afloat, do not have retirement plans. Or health insurance. Or vacation or sick days. Making $15,000 a year they will never (or perhaps should never) own a home or be able to retire.
I know that I am merely visiting this place in my life and that I will soon be able to get a better job (knock on particle-board). But there are so many people that are scratching away at life's surface, trying to pull themselves up by their fucking bootstraps only to be given another bill that they will struggle to pay.
Oh look: $10 parking ticket received while checking email at the library because I cannot afford the internet. $40 to fill my tank with gas. One movie ticket is now $9.75. My credit card interest rate is 23.99% so the $5000 I have to pay off due to paying my rent and other bills with it while working my third unpaid internship will take me five years at the rate I am going.
Bitch bitch bitch. Boo hoo. Being broke is boring.
Dr. Rita Smith Wade-El taught a psychology class I was in where we talked about what it would take for a person to change their society. She said that big changes are usually made by people who are independently wealthy.
It is hard to start a revolution when you are worrying about having enough food to eat.
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