Let's Talk about Class

Class:  I'm weird when it comes to class.  I see class through my own lens of how I grew up.  I recognize that people see things differently, but I feel that moving out of poverty or being (I hate this term) lower class that not much matters after that.  That one leap from being poor to being middle class is gigantic.  After that, it's all gravy. 


Thinking about class always makes me think of being a kid.   I was raised by a single mom along with my 2 sisters.  We lived below poverty level and Mom was always too proud to apply for any kind of assistance.  So, we went without a lot of things.  Food was one of those things.  So, when I think about being poor, I think about being hungry. 

Being poor though, I never felt "lower class".   It's strange.  My mother grew up in an upper middle class home with money and culture and art.  So, even though we didn't have the money thing, we had other things, like classical music, opera, art, and lots of books.  It's a funky part of the way we grew up.  Although we didn't have regular meals on our table, or we didn't have money for the electric bill, Mom would have never referred to us as being poor or lower class.  Mom was a poor snob.  Oh, the irony. Makes me laugh now. :)  


Although she was no longer eating Lobster Thermidor and "summering" in Massachusetts and we were literally one step away from being homeless, Mom never recognized that those days were gone and that they weren't coming back.  She was stuck in the class with which she identified herself growing up. 

Today I lead a pretty comfortable middle class life, although there is no lobster thermidor for me.  I'm fortunate to have a husband who is supporting me through school. My husband grew up poor as well, and put himself through school.  We laugh now because most of our problems are what we call "first world problems."  But I think we both still have some "lower class" sensibilities.   We're both pretty frugal with our money, we save more than we spend.   We live in a moderate house and we rarely eat out (only on special occasions or when I really really don't want to cook). Neither of us has a smart phone. :(  Although I really, really want one I can't justify spending the money.  We're too practical for our own good.  So, I wonder if we're also stuck in the class that we identified with growing up. We are both committed to never, ever being poor again.  


I worry, though, about my teenage son.  I don't spoil him, he has chores and he doesn't get everything he wants, but he has never really had to work hard for anything.  He doesn't have to worry about paying for college, because we've put aside money for that. But will that make it mean less to him?  

His childhood and mine are completely different.  And the funny thing is, I value the weird funky things that led me to become the person I am today.  I certainly wouldn't wish the hardships I had on him, but I wonder if he'll grow up feeling entitled. Am I teaching him good values?  I need to work more on keeping him grounded.  Maybe I'll make him read the books I list at the end of my blog. :)

One of the things that interests me as a future social worker is generational poverty and how to break the cycle. There seem to be many different places in the cycle that can lead to generational poverty and my goal is to find a place where I can make the biggest impact. 

If you haven't read this essay on being poor (I've posted it before) it's very moving.  It's written by a science fiction author who grew up poor, but has become moderately successful. 


Some of the books that had a huge impact on me as a teenager were The Grapes of Wrath,  and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.  Angela's Ashes is another good one. 


The Glass Castle is an excellent book about poverty.  Reading about people who experience living in poverty reminds me to be thankful for what I have and to have empathy for those who have little or nothing.  


Culture Boxes


I have loved seeing the culture boxes.  :)