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Poorgeoisie
Via: NYT
We all lament our situations, giving up luxuries, like Starbucks, like Bath & Body Works, during this recession, but while we struggle there those that suffer.
It’s the bum-proof bench of the recession. Those who were already poor, are doing worse than ever, but rarely do we here about them in relation to the recession.
The highest rate of unemployment is among unskilled laborers. The consequence of high unemployment among the already poor is a larger strain on social services and “doubling up.”
More and more of the generational poor are moving into smaller spaces, living with family and friends. These invisible poor are becoming more prevalent and yet most recession articles are not about them. They are sinking farther down the economic ladder.
Instead, we focus on the “Poorgeoise,” those that wear poverty like a badge of honor and grow their own vegetables. The guy that went from 6 figures to like, 5, and the family that started cooking at home rather than eating out three times a week. Those stories give us good feelings about human endurance.
“Family had it all, loses it, goes on.” That’s inspiring. The lady who lives with her daughter and her grandchildren that almost lost her dilapidated trailer to foreclosure is just depressing. It only demonstrates that life is not at all fair. “Poor family sinks even further into poverty.” That’s a bummer.
I admit I’ve been among the Noveau Poor. I guess that’s what I set out to do, to experience poverty like some kind of exotic vacation, and then I ended up becoming part of it. (The recession, not poverty. Just for clarification.)
