3.
“For my 16th birthday, my parents gifted me a red convertible, but I legitimately threw a fit over it because the car was red and not blue. They kept the car for themselves and got me a new one. Just a small amount of context to show how spoiled I was.”
“Years later, I needed volunteer hours for various university applications, etc. There was an eight-week summer camp that was perfect. Eight weeks as a counsellor where I didn’t really have to do anything? Sign me up.
This summer camp was hosted by AmeriCorps. It served the underprivileged in my area for free if the family couldn’t afford it, or for about $25 a week if they could. There was this kid, a lovely little thing, but they refused to take off their shoes. Going to the pool for the day? They’d keep their shoes on. They were adamant about never taking off their shoes, almost combative about it.
We knew something was wrong then. During a quiet nap time, I took the child to the office of the person running the camp and just sat down to talk to them. We talked about a lot of things, and then I was able to get them to open up about why they never took their shoes off. Their shoes were three sizes too small. They took off their shoes, and their socks were covered in old blood as well as new blood.
Their poor feet were wrecked from wearing those shoes for God knows how long. I grabbed a first aid kit, then cleaned up their wounds the best I could and wrapped them in bandages. I threw their socks and shoes away. On my lunch hour, I sat in my car crying for what felt like hours. I got myself together, went to a shoe shop, and bought them three pairs of shoes in three different sizes: one pair that fit them then, and the other two for as their feet grew. It was such a harrowing, humbling moment, a huge wake-up call.
That camp taught me a lot, and I came away with many stories like that from the children who attended. I spent two years with AmeriCorps, then joined their VISTA programme for another year. I started volunteering to work with at-risk children. I became a ‘big sister’. I did everything I could to give back to my community. It’s over 20 years later, and I still volunteer and help whenever and however I can. When I look back on myself from that time, I can’t believe how entitled and spoiled I was. It was a life-changing experience, one that I will always be thankful for.”
8.
“It’s not that great of a story, but when I was growing up, my parents could afford for me to play any sport, instrument, or whatever other hobby I liked.”
“When I was around 12, I was listening to a friend say she was deciding between volleyball and football. I asked why she didn’t do both, and she said, ‘Because I can’t afford it,’ in a way that showed she was irritated by my obliviousness.
That little exchange truly changed my perspective and made me realise not only that I had the privilege of my parents being able to give me so much, but that other people could see what I had and know they didn’t.
It made me feel awful. Up until that point, it had felt like I was just like everyone else and vice versa, but this interaction made me permanently more sensitive to and aware of financial privilege, wealth divides, and so on.”
10.
“Not me, but I watched it happen in real time to my friend.”
“We were driving to Canada because a beer I designed the label for was having a big launch party, and my husband and said friend came along to celebrate. We were crossing the border, and the car in front of us was more Bondo and duct tape than car.
My friend said out loud, ‘JESUS, why would you drive that around instead of just buying a new one?’ And we were like… cars are expensive, man, lol. He responded, ‘He can afford gas, so he’s got a job; he can absolutely buy something that isn’t falling apart.’
We asked him how much minimum wage was. The silence was deafening. He had no idea and ‘assumed’ it was like $20+ an hour or something. I grew up below the poverty line and spent many memorable years food insecure.
I took the rest of the trip to explain how expensive it is to be poor. He looked like he had swallowed a box of gravel and apologised for being so ignorant. Poor guy was truly mortified that he had no idea some people drive battered cars because it’s their only option, not because they are lazy or slobs.”
