I don’t have really anything to add to this article. It’s provocative and surprising and shocking:
http://www.scalzi.com/whatever/003704.html
Check out the comments, too.
“Being poor is…”
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4 comments
Leave a commentI’m sorry, but I’m having trouble sympathizing. My family used to be in this situation, so it’s not like I don’t know what it’s like. But seriously, there are so many people in this world who’d love to be a dirt poor American.
His idea of “poor” is what I consider “struggling,” which is far off from the poor I think other people suffer.
Nevertheless, I did want to point out this article (following) to you because I think it has a lot of similarities with some of what you’re saying.
http://darkush.blogspot.com/2005/09/more-on-poor.html
That’s not poverty. For grad students, that’s reality.
OK, I’m late to the party but I can’t let Jennifer’s comment there stand. I was a grad student who got by on financial aid, what I made as an intern, and one free tank of gas a month from my parents, and I wasn’t nearly as poor as what Scalzi and his commenters are describing. I had enough money to eat, live on campus, have a bottle or two of wine a week, and pay my bills. Sure, it was tight, but I did okay – even when I my car got wrecked and needed a lot of work.
It’s easy for grad students to feel sorry for themselves — I know I did at the time — but if you aren’t dumpster diving or using foodstamps for food, you’re not poor. If you’re not barely making rent or letting bills get late, you’re not poor. Don’t insult people living in actual poverty by pretending you are. Geez.
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