The most compassionate, dedicated, loving, and influential person I know is my mother. Everything that I am, I owe to her. I will never forget the Friday nights my sister and I spent dancing with her around our living room to her vast collection of records (The Beatles being one of my favorites), or the stories of her childhood that I would beg for daily and can now recite by heart. We were a family wealthy in spirit but lacked in material. With money always a major concern to my mother, she worked hard to make sure we were taken care of. I will forever admire her devotion.
I met Karen last Saturday. Her story is not a happy one, and has recently become quite common among working class individuals. The current state of our economy has left many without jobs and has forced many to live on the streets. As I sat and listened to Karen I couldn’t help but see the similarities between her and my mom. Karen has two young boys, and has committed her life to them as my mom did to our family.
Upon first glance, I noticed her white t-shirt and stonewash jeans. She is twenty-nine years old and her boys, Cole and Madison, are both under the age of six. Being a young, single mother, she had to work two jobs in order to support her family. Her sleepless and stressful workload left her with neither the time nor money for an education. An unexpected illness caused her to miss several months of work and she soon lost both her jobs. Once recuperated she actively looked for work, but had no luck. Her bills quickly became too much to handle and was eventually forced to vacate her home. She and her children have spent the last eight months moving in and out of homeless shelters around the Houston area.
Recent studies show the amount of jobs lost due to the recession is estimated to be in the millions. The working-class in the United States has been hit hard in terms of economy, and every day more and more are unable to get by. Karen has no mental issues, is not lazy, and is not a drug addict like some people assume those in her position to be. She is homeless simply because she cannot find a job. The reality of our nation is scary. The thought of having a job and home one day and not the next is scary. And most importantly, the thought of not knowing when things will get better is scary.
The songs of Revolver, one of my favorite Beatles albums, filled my room as I looked back and saw the similarities between Karen and my mother. I tried to imagine what my life would have been like if my family was in their shoes. I do not know a solution to this problem, and trying to think of one entraps me with confusion and heart-ach. The only thing I can do is remain positive and continue striving to become a hard-working, honest, and kind-hearted person like my mother and Karen. For I believe real change begins with the individual.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ_G9ETE21U
Very touching. Hopefully, jobs will soon become more available to those without them.
ReplyDeleteObama's blog speaks on the situation briefly. Check it out - http://barackobama.tumblr.com/post/11884196045/we-cant-wait
Another great post. I liked how, in this piece, you shifted more focus onto social forces - high unemployment/lack of jobs/no safety net- making things more difficult for her and her children. I think Herman Cain and other conservatives who completely blame the poor for their predicaments should have to come along with you to meet some of these people and hear their stories.
ReplyDeleteAnd The Beatles are the best.