hummingwolf (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hummingwolf) wrote2008-01-03 03:13 pm
hummingwolf) wrote2008-01-03 03:13 pm
Entry tags:
Survival Meme
I know many of you are tired of this survey already, but I'll post mine with added comments to make it something more like a real journal entry, since if I don't I'll be left here uselessly foaming at the mouth and that would not be pretty.
Could you survive in poverty?
Circle [or bold] the items you know how to do.
1. I know which churches and sections of town have the best rummage sales.
-- Frankly, I'm not entirely sure what a "rummage sale" is.
2. I know which rummage sales have "bag sales" and when.
-- Again, no. But I do know where several thrift stores are located, and I know that Salvation Army stores sell clothes for half price on Wednesdays (even in different parts of the country, apparently).
3. I know which grocery stores' garbage bins can be accessed for thrown-away food.
-- Ugh. Please distinguish between "poverty" and "homelessness." If you have a place to lay down your head (or your possessions, at least) and you live in a place where churches have rummage sales (or where churches even exist), then you can probably find some charity that will give you free food if you have no other options. It will be canned, and maybe it won't be very good for your health, but many of us would still prefer it to dumpster diving. For that matter, even if you have no home, you may still be able to find a homeless shelter where they will feed you something decent.
-- My answer, then: I know how to locate at least one charity which gives away free food on occasion, I know of at least one church with a soup kitchen, and if I were really desperate to get food from the grocery stores, I would ask someone for help in working the system. Fortunately, I've never had to go that route.
4. I know how to get someone out of jail.
-- Stereotyped much?
5. I know how to physically fight and defend myself physically.
-- I would defend myself by asking for help. Let's face it, I may have strong legs, but my upper-body strength, energy levels, and overall coordination won't do me much good in a fight. Knowing how to make friends is my best bet. Actually, for most people living without much money, support from friends and community is going to be more helpful than any theoretical knowledge of how to go it alone.
6. I know how to get a gun, even if I have a police record.
-- The price might be higher than I'm willing to pay.
7. I know how to keep my clothes from being stolen at the Laundromat.
-- Is this ever a problem? Bring a book and sit in the Laundromat while waiting for your clothes to be done.
8. I know what problems to look for in a used car.
9. I know how to live without a checking account.
--Yes, but I know it's not necessary.
10. I know how to live without electricity and a phone.
-- How to live without electricity: Go visit someone who does have electricity. C'mon, it's freezing outside! Living without a phone is easier.
11. I know how to use a knife as scissors.
-- Everybody can do that. In a pinch, I can also use a sewing needle.
12. I can entertain a group of friends with my personality and my stories.
13. I know what to do when I don't have money to pay the bills.
-- A. Make payment arrangements. Most utility companies will go to great lengths to keep from losing a customer.
B. Ask for help from anyone who might be even remotely helpful.
14. I know how to move in half a day.
15. I know how to get and use food stamps or an electronic card for benefits.
-- In theory. Still waiting for the local dep't of social services to get their act in gear, though.
16. I know where the free medical clinics are.
-- And I know that this knowledge is pretty much useless if you don't have a car. Clinics with a sliding scale tend to be easier to get to.
17. I am very good at trading and bartering.
18. I can get by without a car.
-- I'd better, since I can't legally drive in any jurisdiction in the world.
-- Irritating facts about the first part of this survey: In the U.S., poor people tend to fall overwhelmingly into three categories: the disabled, the elderly, and households with multiple small children. Any discussion of the poor which does not take those groups into account is ignoring basic reality, yet the only question above which is remotely relevant is the one about free medical clinics.
Could you survive in middle class?
Circle [or bold] the items you know how to do.
1. I know how to get my children into Little League, piano lessons, soccer, etc.
-- If I had children, I seriously doubt this would be a problem.
2. I know how to properly set a table.
-- A typical middle-class dinner table, anyway. Anything beyond that will require consultation with Miss Manners.
3. I know which stores are most likely to carry the clothing brands my family wears.
-- Even when I had enough spare cash that I could have cared about brands, I didn't. Do the clothes seem well-made? Attractive? Unlikely to fall apart anytime soon? Good.
4. My children know the best brands in clothing.
-- I have no children. Did the writer of this survey think that having children was a defining feature of the middle class? Do they believe that poor people have no kids? Or the rich?
5. I know how to order in a nice restaurant.
-- Be courteous to the server. Even in a nice restaurant, they can spit in your food if they don't like you.
6. I know how to use a credit card, checking account and savings account.
-- And I can balance my checkbook, which is essential when you're trying to pay your bills with Supplemental Security Income.
7. I talk to my children about going to college.
-- If I had children, I certainly would.
8. I know how to get one of the best interest rates on my new-car loan.
9. I understand the difference among the principal, interest and escrow statements on my house payment.
-- I, um, rent a room. It's a small room.
10. I know how to help my children with their homework and do not hesitate to call the school if I need additional information.
-- Well, this certainly would be true if I had children.
11. I know how to decorate the house for the different holidays.
-- And I almost decided to decorate for Christmas this year, but decided not to risk irritating the housemates.
12. I know how to get a library card.
-- Everybody should know how to do this, whatever class they happen to be in. Good grief, people!
13. I know how to use most of the tools in the garage.
-- It's not my garage. Some of the tools likely need to be repaired using other tools.
14. I repair items in my house almost immediately when they break - or know a repair service and call it.
-- I rent a room. Repairing things happens on the landlord's schedule, which seems to be quite full these days.
Could you survive in wealth?
Circle [or bold] the items you know how to do.
1. I can read a menu in French, English and another language.
2. I have several favorite restaurants in different countries of the world.
3. During the holidays, I know how to hire a decorator to identify appropriate themes and items with which to decorate the house.
-- Okay, do people really need help with this? I'm sorry, but if you're genuinely wealthy, you should be able to afford the self-respect of trusting your own judgment when it comes to holiday frivolity. Unless, that is, your house exists as a showplace and an advertisement rather than as a home, in which case I feel sorry for you.
4. I know who my preferred financial advisor, legal service, designer, domestic-employment service and hairdresser are.
5. I have at least two residences that are staffed and maintained.
6. I know how to ensure confidentiality and loyalty from my domestic staff.
7. I have at least two or three "screens" that keep people whom I do not wish to see away from me.
8. I fly my own plane or the company plane.
9. I know how to enroll my children in the preferred private school.
-- Oh, so rich people can have children too. Good to know. Well, if my parents managed to enroll me in their preferred private school when I was five, I could certainly figure this one out.
10. I know how to host the parties that "key" people attend.
11. I am on the boards of at least two charities.
-- I hope you know how to determine which charities are worthwhile and which are frauds, then.
12. I know the hidden rules of the Junior League.
13. I support or buy the work of a particular artist.
14. I know how to read a corporate financial statement and analyze my own financial statements.
-- Other important things for the very wealthy to know: How to avoid kidnappings. How to avoid the temptations of addiction to the newest and most expensive drugs. How to avoid unwanted tabloid coverage of your life, or how to gain tabloid attention when you could use the publicity.
Could you survive in poverty?
Circle [or bold] the items you know how to do.
1. I know which churches and sections of town have the best rummage sales.
-- Frankly, I'm not entirely sure what a "rummage sale" is.
2. I know which rummage sales have "bag sales" and when.
-- Again, no. But I do know where several thrift stores are located, and I know that Salvation Army stores sell clothes for half price on Wednesdays (even in different parts of the country, apparently).
3. I know which grocery stores' garbage bins can be accessed for thrown-away food.
-- Ugh. Please distinguish between "poverty" and "homelessness." If you have a place to lay down your head (or your possessions, at least) and you live in a place where churches have rummage sales (or where churches even exist), then you can probably find some charity that will give you free food if you have no other options. It will be canned, and maybe it won't be very good for your health, but many of us would still prefer it to dumpster diving. For that matter, even if you have no home, you may still be able to find a homeless shelter where they will feed you something decent.
-- My answer, then: I know how to locate at least one charity which gives away free food on occasion, I know of at least one church with a soup kitchen, and if I were really desperate to get food from the grocery stores, I would ask someone for help in working the system. Fortunately, I've never had to go that route.
4. I know how to get someone out of jail.
-- Stereotyped much?
5. I know how to physically fight and defend myself physically.
-- I would defend myself by asking for help. Let's face it, I may have strong legs, but my upper-body strength, energy levels, and overall coordination won't do me much good in a fight. Knowing how to make friends is my best bet. Actually, for most people living without much money, support from friends and community is going to be more helpful than any theoretical knowledge of how to go it alone.
6. I know how to get a gun, even if I have a police record.
-- The price might be higher than I'm willing to pay.
7. I know how to keep my clothes from being stolen at the Laundromat.
-- Is this ever a problem? Bring a book and sit in the Laundromat while waiting for your clothes to be done.
8. I know what problems to look for in a used car.
9. I know how to live without a checking account.
--Yes, but I know it's not necessary.
10. I know how to live without electricity and a phone.
-- How to live without electricity: Go visit someone who does have electricity. C'mon, it's freezing outside! Living without a phone is easier.
11. I know how to use a knife as scissors.
-- Everybody can do that. In a pinch, I can also use a sewing needle.
12. I can entertain a group of friends with my personality and my stories.
13. I know what to do when I don't have money to pay the bills.
-- A. Make payment arrangements. Most utility companies will go to great lengths to keep from losing a customer.
B. Ask for help from anyone who might be even remotely helpful.
14. I know how to move in half a day.
15. I know how to get and use food stamps or an electronic card for benefits.
-- In theory. Still waiting for the local dep't of social services to get their act in gear, though.
16. I know where the free medical clinics are.
-- And I know that this knowledge is pretty much useless if you don't have a car. Clinics with a sliding scale tend to be easier to get to.
17. I am very good at trading and bartering.
18. I can get by without a car.
-- I'd better, since I can't legally drive in any jurisdiction in the world.
-- Irritating facts about the first part of this survey: In the U.S., poor people tend to fall overwhelmingly into three categories: the disabled, the elderly, and households with multiple small children. Any discussion of the poor which does not take those groups into account is ignoring basic reality, yet the only question above which is remotely relevant is the one about free medical clinics.
Could you survive in middle class?
Circle [or bold] the items you know how to do.
1. I know how to get my children into Little League, piano lessons, soccer, etc.
-- If I had children, I seriously doubt this would be a problem.
2. I know how to properly set a table.
-- A typical middle-class dinner table, anyway. Anything beyond that will require consultation with Miss Manners.
3. I know which stores are most likely to carry the clothing brands my family wears.
-- Even when I had enough spare cash that I could have cared about brands, I didn't. Do the clothes seem well-made? Attractive? Unlikely to fall apart anytime soon? Good.
4. My children know the best brands in clothing.
-- I have no children. Did the writer of this survey think that having children was a defining feature of the middle class? Do they believe that poor people have no kids? Or the rich?
5. I know how to order in a nice restaurant.
-- Be courteous to the server. Even in a nice restaurant, they can spit in your food if they don't like you.
6. I know how to use a credit card, checking account and savings account.
-- And I can balance my checkbook, which is essential when you're trying to pay your bills with Supplemental Security Income.
7. I talk to my children about going to college.
-- If I had children, I certainly would.
8. I know how to get one of the best interest rates on my new-car loan.
9. I understand the difference among the principal, interest and escrow statements on my house payment.
-- I, um, rent a room. It's a small room.
10. I know how to help my children with their homework and do not hesitate to call the school if I need additional information.
-- Well, this certainly would be true if I had children.
11. I know how to decorate the house for the different holidays.
-- And I almost decided to decorate for Christmas this year, but decided not to risk irritating the housemates.
12. I know how to get a library card.
-- Everybody should know how to do this, whatever class they happen to be in. Good grief, people!
13. I know how to use most of the tools in the garage.
-- It's not my garage. Some of the tools likely need to be repaired using other tools.
14. I repair items in my house almost immediately when they break - or know a repair service and call it.
-- I rent a room. Repairing things happens on the landlord's schedule, which seems to be quite full these days.
Could you survive in wealth?
Circle [or bold] the items you know how to do.
1. I can read a menu in French, English and another language.
2. I have several favorite restaurants in different countries of the world.
3. During the holidays, I know how to hire a decorator to identify appropriate themes and items with which to decorate the house.
-- Okay, do people really need help with this? I'm sorry, but if you're genuinely wealthy, you should be able to afford the self-respect of trusting your own judgment when it comes to holiday frivolity. Unless, that is, your house exists as a showplace and an advertisement rather than as a home, in which case I feel sorry for you.
4. I know who my preferred financial advisor, legal service, designer, domestic-employment service and hairdresser are.
5. I have at least two residences that are staffed and maintained.
6. I know how to ensure confidentiality and loyalty from my domestic staff.
7. I have at least two or three "screens" that keep people whom I do not wish to see away from me.
8. I fly my own plane or the company plane.
9. I know how to enroll my children in the preferred private school.
-- Oh, so rich people can have children too. Good to know. Well, if my parents managed to enroll me in their preferred private school when I was five, I could certainly figure this one out.
10. I know how to host the parties that "key" people attend.
11. I am on the boards of at least two charities.
-- I hope you know how to determine which charities are worthwhile and which are frauds, then.
12. I know the hidden rules of the Junior League.
13. I support or buy the work of a particular artist.
14. I know how to read a corporate financial statement and analyze my own financial statements.
-- Other important things for the very wealthy to know: How to avoid kidnappings. How to avoid the temptations of addiction to the newest and most expensive drugs. How to avoid unwanted tabloid coverage of your life, or how to gain tabloid attention when you could use the publicity.
Re: Stereotype central. Yikes.
I was going to complain that the poverty section seemed to be racist, but then I realized that the bits about fighting, guns, and jail could fit rural white trash stereotypes as easily as inner-city black stereotypes. The list is still pretty ugly.
Re: Stereotype central. Yikes.
This list does not sound like the people I know and love.
In the US, at least, the poor who draw public attention are the minority who have huge glaring (but juicy) problems other than poverty.
Most of the poor are just ordinary folks who lack resources (but stay afloat at least partly through rich social nets, in my experience). Even if everyone they know is poor, sticking together can make life manageable...