re: Tell me about being poor

Paper route as my first job really sucked except for improving bike riding skills, increasing physical exercise, and developing discipline and communication skills.
Next up was a an ice cream shop at $.57/hr. Learned how to enjoy an inside job during the hot arse La. summers to be comfortable but accept less pay.
Next up was a job in a HB joint, a Winn Dixie, and a college bus driving route while plodding through school.

I rose from the poor ranks once I received my degree in Physics and joined the professional work force.

43 years later the current scenario is money for nothing and chicks for free.

I am not poor but I live a poor lifestyle

Do/did you eat ramen everyday?
No. Canned beans and canned vegetables mostly

live in the ghetto?
No. Luckily I got a good deal in an ok area

Go without power?
No but I am conservative with my electricity (often only use a lamp and seldomly use AC). My electricity/gas bill is less than $35 a month

Use the stove for heat?
No, just wear warm clothes inside. I sleep with sweatshirts or jacket on

quote:

---

Didn't think I was poor growing up, but looking back on my childhood...ya we were poor as shite

---

This. (except we weren't like reallypoor). If you grew up the child of people who had lived through the depression, they knew how to live on a limited income and make it good to their kids.

My parents were able to send us to parochial school but with the same couple pair of pants for a couple of years that ended up with patches on top of patches. Didn't find out till later that my dad would do handy work for the school/church in his free time for breaks on tuition. And lets just say trips to the dump weren't only for dropping off. Dad could find a good lamp or piece of furniture of something for around the house with great accuracy.

Plus, crawfish from the swamp, fish and shrimp from the river, blackberries, mulberries, thistle (which we called Chadron), etc. weren't just for fun/sport when they were in season.

Smoked cigarettes that were $12 a carton.

We were so poor , we couldn't pay attention

quote:

---

Do/did you eat ramen everyday? live in the ghetto? Go without power? Use the stove for heat?

---

I grew up in a govenment owned housing complex 20 miles from NYC

Our rent was based off my father's federal income tax return. Checks were written to the "Town of ..."

My dad was a former Army huey mechanic. Afterwards, he struggled to find a good paying job until he became an "Assistant Engineer" with Grumman who later funded his college education as he earned his engineering degree at night.

We had cars repo'd bc my mother was shite (and still is) with paying bills. We were on foodstamps for a little while but generally were self sufficient other than the gov't providing a cheaper than market value townhome for rent.

The neighborhood we lived in had 20 townhomes. In the early 80's it was all young families helping to raise each other's kids. All the mothers were friends which meant if you fouled up, you'd be reprimanded by no less than 5 other sets of parents for your misdeeds. It was a good place to live, Block parties and all

Then the crack epidemic of the late 80's and early 90's hit. Those young families left and were replaced with druggies. The neighborhood went from nice to a gang infested shithole where ambulances would not enter without police escort.

I was in a number of fights based solely on the fact some coward thought I was the weakest one bc I was the only whiteboy.

I have seen gunfights, had a sawed off shotgun pointed at me point blank, and lost friends to both prison and murder

The worst was watching (from 100' away) an ex-con empty a 9mm magazine into the front windows of my next door neighbor who happened to be his estranged wife.

My family could not afford to move because my father was low paid but going to school and my mom only worked part time so she could raise the kids.

Grumman left Long Island in the mid 90's. My dad had just completed school when he was laid off.

We left NY and have never been back.

My parents got married way too young, having me when they were both 19.

I am incredibly proud of my father for everything he has done to provide for his family. We have not needed gov't assistance since 1994 with all of us (parents and siblings) earning an upper middle class lifestyle today

We are a success story that I credit to hard work and a dedication to family as to why we got out of the ghetto.

My kids love Ramen noodles.

Live way out in the country

Only time without power is after a storm and before I crank the generator ( Can run my whole house trailer)

I have central air and heat in my trailer


Being poor sucks only when you associate with people who aren't. Even though everyone knows I am, I try not to make it obvious when around those who aren't. Biggest down fall is missing out on invites for things. Generally, people with money invite others with money to do things because they know they will return the favor. For example, Im to poor to own a boat so I don't get invited on fishing trips.




Any other insight to the poor life I can help you with?

quote:

---

No poors here baw. This is the OT.

---

quote:

---

Tell me about being poor

---

just glad i was a boy so i had something to play with.