“Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself..." Herman Cain
Every time I read that quote I sniggle a bit. Not because I think it’s profound or even remotely true, but I find it quite comical the ridiculous things people think and say. I’m an educated….very educated…black, professional woman and I’m hardly rich, successful in my career perhaps, but rich no. Would that be my fault? No. I mean do you think some people choose NOT to be rich. That would be a negative. But that is neither here nor there. Some people just aren’t bright no matter how much they try to convince us otherwise *side eye to Herman Cain*In my opinion, riches, sometimes, really can be the luck of the draw.
But enough about Herman, the worm (y’all remember that rhyme? I used to sing it as a camp counselor…if you catch me in the streets I will reenact it for you…dead ass serious!) , but really this statement speaks more to the ignorance of this country and people’s ability to glaze over the issues of today’s work force. Hell, up to a few years ago, I’ll be honest with you, in my head I didn’t really identify with the issues of the working class or the working poor either. But, as a health care provider so kindly informed me not so long ago, the boundaries of such groupings have changed. And due to that, I consequently found myself in a new class. Yep, my friends I am the working poor (based on her categorization). According to Ms. “Bedside manners” her definition was so easy. I was working and I was poor. I promise I didn’t make that up…ok…maybe a wee bit….ok all of it. LOLOL no really, she came to this conclusion simply because I was working, two jobs at the time but did not have insurance nor could afford the rates they were quoting me. (mind you I was only there for a tetanus shot and the shot itself was going to be 450 dollars…I won’t even talk about the visit, tests, and blood work…I get woozy just thinking about it.). So to her that meant I was the working poor. And Ms. Sunshine was so adamant and passionate about it that the term stuck with me ever since I was blessed with it, “The working poor.” Now do you think that that’s the classification I wanted and aimed for when I made this career choice?
Wait let me back up. Some of you may not know what I do exactly. I’m a freelancer in television production. A lovely job that has many rewards, unfortunately job security and health benefits aren’t one. They don’t tell you that at your exit interview in graduate school, by the way. But nonetheless, it is a profession and has distinct career path. And I love it, at times and at times it’s a difficult path to navigate, especially since job security fluctuates rapidly. Moreover, as a freelancer, there is a percentage of your time that is spent in unemployment. Now, I’m not sure how many of y'all are unemployed or have been unemployed, but let me tell you something it is not fun. Okay, okay…most of the time, like 80% of the time it isn’t fun. But there’s a small 20% of the time, that’s just damn comical. I’m amazed at just how resourceful I can be. It’s almost like a game I play with myself, kind of like survivor, but instead getting kicked off the island and going to a hotel, if you get kicked out of this game you get evicted. Higher stakes hahahaha….
But I digress, in all seriousness; the struggle of adulthood is real. I mean listen, am I the only one that feels like someone pulled the ol’ wool rug over my eyes? I mean like the fugazy of all fugazies. No? Like all of that build up as a kid for what? Bills? Unsolvable issues? Stress? Nah son…someone coulda warned a sista? Just a little bit…like a tad bit of a red flag warning?
This is as bad as jumping on the on a subway car and finding that the heat is on, in the DEAD of summer and have that woman who looked you dead in your eye give you no warning of such hellish conditions. Yeah, stepping in adulthood is exactly that! I mean, sure your parents made such cavalier statements as “don’t rush it, you’ll be grown soon enough”, but no one ever gave you the real deal, like life is NOT an episode of The Cosby show. You may not ever get to live in the Cosby house. And if you DO find your Heathcliff, he might not be able to solve your problems in 26 minutes (excluding commercials). But per chance you do, YOU, my dear Claire, may have to work two jobs to help pay down the bills.
Haha, okay my situation isn’t that bad, but I DID pick a career that lacks complete stability and as a single woman creeping into her late 30’s, it’s certainly is cause for pause. And all of that comes not without trying because I work hard, I’m good at what I do, and I’ve progressed pretty well in my profession, but it really just is the way the industry works. So when I see quotes like that from Mr. Cain, I have to chuckle. Clearly sir you have not a clue about how life works. Are there some people not giving their all? Absolutely. But are there some people working as hard if not harder than you and yet find themselves still at the bottom? Certainly. I mean hell, quietly isn’t that what this country is built on?
But what do I know. I am unemployed right …maybe I should just “try harder” ;-)
