On being poor....

Someone told me "You don't know what that's like!  You ain't never been poor like that".

Know what? They are right.  After a little thought, I'm big enough to admit they are right.  I've never been poor like that.

Oh, I've been poor by my standards.  I surely have.  In my lifetime...

I've been sleep in the car because that's all there was poor.

I've been sleep on the floor with a blanket and be thrilled for it poor.

I've been pawn our wedding rings to buy our kid medicine poor.

I've been boiling eggs in a coffee can for dinner poor.

I've been use a chicken for everything but the squawk, and make it last a week poor.

I've been work two jobs and eat out of date thrown away food from work poor.

I've been learn to sew because there's no money for Goodwill clothes poor.

I've been car repossessed and walking to work poor.

Yeah, I've been poor a time or two in my life.  But you know what?  

I've never been rob my neighbor poor.

I've never been loot a local store poor.

I've never been buy filet mignon with food stamps poor.

I've never been County aid fix my car for free poor.

I've never been do hard drugs to escape poor.

I've never been neglect my kids poor.

So, yeah, that person was right.  I've never been that kind of poor, and I will never understand that kind of poor.

I ain't poor no more.  Ain't wealthy either.  But, if I'm careful all our bills get paid and we can drive to work and everyone in the house eats well.  Might not be fancy steaks, and some good stuff might be from the garden, but we eat well.  There's healthy bread on the counter, even if I did bake it myself, and I haven't bounced anything at the bank in as long as I can remember.  I'm not poor, but I know my kind of poor real, real, well.  That other kind?  I kinda hope I never do understand that kind of poor.