As some would say, I am the 99% but I’m not going to take my sharpie and complain to you about my problems expecting the rich to do something for me, my lack of money, my debt, my non-existent college education. If I have time to do that, I have time to figure out what I can do to make do … aside from protesting something that we all have power to change.
For everyone in the 99%, we’re all in the same boat. If 99% of the population is having financial issues, why do we feel the need to spread our problems just to let the other 1% know?
As long as I’m not the 1%, you probably already know my problems.
I have debt from credit cards, medical bills and such.
Why? I was stupid enough to live without health insurance. I was stupid to have taken risks. Instead of cutting back on something I thought I needed, I went without an essential.
I have poor health coverage.
This is really my lesson learned and some health coverage is better than none.
I am fortunate to have a job.
And I try to do my best at it so I can minimize the amount I have to worry about it. I don’t waste my time complaining to cameras about my problems and protesting the rich. Instead, I go to work everyday and do what I have to do for my next check.
I know someone with cancer.
It’s her second battle in fact. Again, she lives as comfortably as a cancer patient can live. I’d much rather spend my time with her and her limited time left in this world than complain to the world about how I don’t have money to give her everything.
I don’t have a college education because when I was 19, I decided to move out of my mom’s and work full time.
Personal choice which I can only blame myself for if I ever decided to regret this. I rented bedrooms for years. When I started dating, I split the rent of an apartment with my boyfriend. I don’t blame the economy for what could be a poor choice of mine. I chose to spend my hard earn money on living on my own because my mother and I argued a LOT.
Oh and I don’t get money from my mother. She was a single parent and doesn’t make a whole lot. She never got anything she wanted in luxury items while raising two kids on her own. She doesn’t have any money to give me.
However, here’s what I have. I live comfortably in my one bedroom rented apartment. I live comfortably with my boyfriend. I make under $30,000 a year. No, I don’t have nice shoes. They’re from Payless Shoes in fact. Most shoes I’ve worn since I moved out of my mom’s are from there.
For all the expensive services (internet, cable, etc) that I could cut off or at least reduce it back down to a cheaper rate? I’m willing to just live with what I pay for now. In return, I get what I want from that service but I probably have to sacrifice on other things such as nice shoes or new clothes or a college education. I promise that if I ever have walking issues or fallen arches in my feet, I won’t blame you or Wall Street.
I have a probably less than desired credit score but there’s very few Americans that actually have a GOOD credit score. Including the rich ones.
I made a stupid mistake with credit cards, with health insurance, etc. It could have all been prevented if back then, I took the time to be realistic about my spendings. However, I’m making the sacrifices now (such as not eating out, not having new clothes every month, not buying all the luxury items I want) to pay off my mistakes.
What part of Wall Street or “the rich” or the “1%” has made it so that I can’t survive in this world financially? As far as I see, I’m not your 99%. I’m not the 1%. Sometimes, you have to stop blaming the more-fortunate because they have stuff you want – like money.
I want money too. But wasting your time protesting instead of going out and finding jobs and earning your next check isn’t going to make your situation any better tomorrow or the day/month/year after.
I’m not saying to not protest. I really do understand where the 99% are coming from. However, I just don’t see protesting as the best use of your time. If your problems are as dire as the ones I’ve read, why not instead try and figure out how to solve it on your own?
How much is your time worth? Is it worth continuing to be broke because of this protest? Is it worth your time to protest the next few weeks? days? months?
The “American Dream” is what you make it. But in the end, your own choices in life are the ones that make your dream. If you decided to move out with your boyfriend who has no job, did you think really that you’d find a better situation? (Perhaps you did) Did you think pursuing a degree that led to no where would NOT put you in debt (student loans, etc)? Did you really think you’d go somewhere with that degree?
There’s stuff in this country that definitely needs to be fixed but why the heck are you protesting Wall Street? Go occupy in a place that matters. Where laws can change. Like I don’t know, the government?
Most of all and most importantly, stop yelling outside my office building in San Francisco. I’m trying to earn my living.