The upside of poverty.

I've been talking to a guy at work. He is very frustrated by the economy and the state of MI's utter disregard for its people. I share his frustration. he hates being poor. All of us poor people working our butts off do. But he has this so ingrained in him that it is in his marrow now. We were talking about this and I realized that it is an issue that ACG and I have briefly touched. So I will expound.

If you have no things then you have no thing for someone to take. I am currently a target in my family. I chose to work smart and not hard because I see the value in balance. My sister and I ahve been Martha and Mary. One sits at the Master's feet while he talks and the other is in the kitchen doing dishes before dinner dries on the plates. Dishes will keep (oooh, who am I?). Because I feel dishes are less important than my present and my eternal soul i am lazy. My brother has somekind of complex. Napoleon, Hitler, Nero... I don't know. I think I could safely label him a Ferengi and make it stick. But, I have too many things for his liking. he has a house with nothing much in it and I have things that make a house a home for guests to visit. it offends him. And he has tried, on more than one occassion, to get me to relinquish my possessions. He is also offended that I chose not to own a home. All of my life he has taken from my sister and me. I woudl be punished for telling on him and he would not have to repay the theft. And so we are adults in the same situation.

And my relationships outside of the family work the dame way. Matt was offended that I was about to break into a business selling my artwork and sabotaged me. Mike didn't like that I put my daycare kids first and he sabotaged my business. val didn't understand how I as a mosue could have one the cutest (subjective opinion) guy in our class like me and not her vivacious self and so the Lie of Which we do not speak. And thus my philosophy... if you have nothing then no one can take anything from you.

Yes, in practice it is the minefield that No Pets No Kids No Man No Mess is. But the one thing that poverty allows you is the free space in your grey matter to concieve of something different and better for yourself. My DVD player is on its last legs. Knowing it has to make it through the winter I am not using itthis summer. Karen and I have things we weant to do while the weather is nice. Verta invited us all back to the lake and, like Liz said, we can live a dream everyone pays through the nose to have on the Eastern Seaboard. This is beautiful area. I can't appreciate it if I am distracted by a bunch of things. We can't rally have meaningful comversations if we are wrapped up in our gadgets and gizmos and working ungodly hours to have a house that impresses and not invites. The best moments in my life are not the ones illuminated by the TV's glow. They are illuminated by my friends' wit and conviviality.

The upside of poverty is being forced into living consciously. No distractions. No meandering. I still have dreams and goals and I get more creative all the time as to how I will accomplish them. When I relearn this lesson the comfort of fiscal security will come.