Working Poor

After long-term unemployment, some people found that the only job they were able to get was one that doesn't pay the bills. Going to work every day hoping for something better to come your way, meanwhile sinking into financial debt that gets harder to get out of is stress producing to say the least.

What exactly is the alternative?

Government assistance is for those who have exhausted all other resources and honestly, the working poor make too much money to qualify for programs like food stamps.

You could supplement your diet by visiting a food bank but for many, it just feels so hopeless to do so. Many working poor choose between groceries and sending a few dollars to help keep their utilities on.

It feels like an endless cycle of applying for better-paying jobs, interviewing (when you are lucky enough to get the interview) and searching the Internet for open positions. At the end of the day all you can do is hope that tomorrow will bring a new opportunity.

Meanwhile you struggle through.

People who have never experienced a hard time cannot begin to understand. They judge others for what they do and assume that the situation could never happen to them.

Compassion is not abundant in many circles. Employers when approached by employees who are looking for a pay raise often act as if the employee is ungrateful. They continue to pile workloads on employees but don't want to compensate them for the extra work they do.

The working poor are all around us. They are your neighbor, your daughter, the person in the grocery store adding change to the self-serve checkout so they can get a loaf of bread for their kid's school lunch.

There are the haves and the have nots. Those who have might feel pity for those who do not. Pity doesn't help anyone.

It certainly does nothing for the guy who goes to work every day knowing that he might come home to find his electricity turned off because he just can't seem to make enough to pay the bill.

It does nothing for the mom who skips lunch so she will have something to give her child to eat for dinner.

The world has turned into a dog eat dog society where employers have their pick of prospective employees. They can make judgments that often turn away workers who really need a job in favor of someone less qualified who will work for less. They know that they can demand more of employees because it isn't easy to find another job.

Poverty sucks and for all those who feel it builds "character" or shows someone just how "strong" they can be well, I would venture to bet that they have never walked in the shoes of the working poor.

Poverty is a challenge. It is a matter of life or death for many. It takes time, hard work and the kindness of others to get through it.

It is a long road for some with many obstacles along the way. It is a road that is becoming crowded but still so many don't understand why.

I know this road too well. My obstacle to overcome is to not allow this road to make me hold onto the anger I feel at times. I need to focus on the path that leads to a better life that is free of this stress.

The road of poverty can kill you. I don't plan on leaving it that way.

I have hope.