The Face of Poverty Has Changed! — ARE YOU paying attention?
The tragic situation in Ferguson, Missouri and a recent brunch Town Meeting with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders have reawakened my thoughts and concerns for the people suffering today in the current economic situation.
News reports on the Ferguson crisis concentrate too much on the racial divide, and while it exists, we need to take a deeper look at the economic divide. In Ferguson, that appears to coincide with the racial divide. Such is not the case everywhere, as you look closely around you, the economic disparities are huge! It may be you, yourself? and I can guarantee that it is some of your extended family, some of your friends and some of your neighbors! ARE YOU paying attention?
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, tweeted a startling statistic on July 22, 2012: “Today the Walton family of Walmart own more wealth than the bottom 40 percent of America.” It hasn’t improved in the last two years! The top 1% have received 93% of the income growth as our economy supposedly improves! Improved for whom? Certainly not for you or for me or for most of the people we know! ARE YOU paying attention?
You are not hearing about it on the news!
Most of the so called “news” is worthless fluff and misinformation
I am going to violate my New England Yankee upbringing and talk about my/our situation. NOT because I want you thinking or worrying about us! I don’t – BELIEVE ME! I do want you thinking and worrying about the people close by and around you! – I want you to open your eyes and take a close look at your family, your friends and your neighbors! I want you to open your eyes, pay attention and help those you can at whatever level you can!
I use our situation ONLY to open your eyes and to show you how easily it can appear that no difficulties exist when they really do. 90-95% of the people of the world would trade places with us in a heart beat AND I KNOW THAT.
Those of us who worked in the decades prior to 2000 and the economic downfall that resulted in the devastating economic crash in 2008 had the opportunity to acquire nice homes and to live relatively comfortable lives. That facade remains as our savings and retirement funds were wiped out. I won’t tell you what I lost but I will tell you it was substantial as I was better employed then many and was putting 30% of my salary away – ALL WIPED OUT and I was too old and too near retirement to recover any of it. All the cushion intended for now – gone!
So, I am a perfect example of all the people living in nice homes, struggling to survive as the world drives by and thinks all is well!
I am a perfect example of someone who struggles to pay the annually increasing taxes on the roof over our head.
I am a perfect example of someone who can’t afford to replace/repair the non-working furnace and hot water heater (thanks to an early subzero freeze in December 2013). I made it through last winter and I will make it through this winter!
I am a perfect example of someone struggling to afford wood for this winter’s “hunker down”. I will manage to have a warm corner, somewhere, somehow — If I can’t get the nine cord of wood I need, I can burn biobricks, pallets, cardboard or huddle in the corner by the pellet stove in the Shop. (buying in small amounts as I go)
I will be fine! I don’t want you worrying about me! I want you to open your eyes and take a close look at your family, your friends and your neighbors!
Remember how deceiving the facade can be as you look around!
The Face of Poverty Has Changed! — ARE YOU paying attention?
We have actually had people question why we opened the Shop when things are so tight! We opened the Shops at Fayrehale because we had planned it for years and after the financial crash in ’08, I put my 30% retirement contribution in to inventory for this very Shop!
We opened it because we needed to take steps to generate an income stream that will in time make it easier to pay the taxes and buy our winter fuel.
We opened it because we are New England Yankees and we take what steps we can to survive.
I don’t want you worrying about us! I want you to open your eyes and take a close look at your family, your friends and your neighbors!
One of the worst things for me in all of this, is that we are no longer able to have loads of firewood and pallets of pellets dropped off at the homes of neighbors and friends in need!
That bothers me more than the possibility of struggling to stay warm myself this winter!
SO!, I ask you not to think or worry about us. We will be fine.
I ask you to PLEASE open your eyes and take a careful look at your family, your friends and your neighbors! Look beyond the facade — look behind the pride that may be cloaking reality! LOOK! and help at what ever level you can IF YOU ARE ABLE.
That is All I Ask!
That is All I Want!
