Small blessings.

[bladespark]

I somethimes think that everyone should spend a few years living a deprived life. Not "starving to death in a third world country" deprived, I'm not that mean, but I think that everyone would benefit from having a few years where you can chose to pay the electricity bill, or get food, but not both.

That's how I was raised. Up until I was about... 16 or so, it was literally that bad. We were on church welfare for a while, which means that the church fed us*, so that we could use the money to pay the rent. And even up until I moved out this last year, my parents still scrimped and pinched, and we never had enough money, though some of that of late is because of their priorities, and good quality food was pretty low on the list. We had school lunck leftovers sometimes, because my Mom was a lunch lady. You have not scraped the bottom of the dining world's barrel until you've had school lunch leftovers.

But no more!

Until you've been there, you just can't understand how wonderful it is to just be able to buy food. I am sometimes still amazed at the thought. I can go to the grocery store, and not only can I afford something other than ramen, potatoes, and plain pasta, I can get the name brand rather than the generic. I can actually buy a TV dinner if I don't feel like cooking, and I can get the Marie Callender's rather than the Western Family. I can do that! I remember when I thought it was horribly extravagant to buy cheese at all, and now not only can I buy cheese, but I can get the good Tillamook stuff! I can spend a whole $8 on a block of cheese without wincing. Isn't that great? And it gets even better! I can eat out! And it doesn't have to be the dollar menu at Burger King or McD's! If I go to Burger King, I can get the $6 combo! And it still gets better because once in a while I can go have STEAK! I had NEVER had real steak in my entire life, until I was about 22 or so. Never! It was too espensive, we almost never had meat, and when we did it was chicken, or maybe hamburger. And wow, I was missing so much. Steak is wonderful! I can buy steak! At a restraunt, where they will cook it just right for me! Can you buy steak? If you can, do you know how incredibly lucky you are?

*I just have to edit this and add that I think that system has a lot going for it, because it gives you what you NEED, stuff like food, maybe shelter, etc., rather than just paying you money that you can go out and piss away on stupid stuff instead of feeding your children with it.

Comments

[beetlecat.livejournal.com]

My parents own a farm, so I don't think I've ever bought steak in my life :D

Although, I *have* eaten school leftovers before. Not because I had to but because free food is free food.

But I agree with your point. Everyone should have at least some thankfulness and humility about their lives.

About a week ago, I went crazy and bought half a black forest cake at Safeway. Now *that* was decadence... took me 3 days or so to actually finish it.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmchocolate.

I went a little nuts with that kind of thing when I first got out on my own making some "real" money. (It's very sad that the honestly very modest living I make doing fursuiting feels like being rich to me.) But I'd go and buy all kinds of strange random stuff, especially deserts, just because I could.

Cake sounds good! But I have chocolate peanut butter ice cream, and that's even better.

[catwoman69y2k.livejournal.com]

Here here!

I think that when you are used to having ANYTHING with no struggle for it, you can lose perspective. I never ate school lunch leftovers but I know in art school, I would eat the rejected popcorn and pretzels since it was free. I was always hungry since popcorn is not that filling.

-Kat

[2dlife.livejournal.com]

I can buy steak, but I wasn't always able to buy steak.

A little family history: I was born in China and survived a famine before my parents won scholarships to the US. I came over 3 years later. Until I was 12, we were really poor, my dad was fighting his way through law school (they refused to give him a loan so we paid for it), my mom had the only job. My most vivid memory of food back then was that we'd buy one whole chicken (for $3) and make it last a week. I couldn't afford school lunches at $1 a day so I brought lunch. Anyhow, this all turned around. By the time I was 16, my parents paid $45,000 a year to send me to college without blinking. The first time I had steak was in college. Of course, for my last year of college and afterwards, I paid my own way.

So anyhow my point is that nothing is static and it's entirely possible to rise from poverty to being quite wealthy if you just keep at it. It's the American dream.

[graydown.livejournal.com]

Nothing in my experience -- no high, no rush, no standing-on-the-mountain -- can compare to the ecstasy of not being in pain anymore. Just existing like that, breathing and being, is a joy like no other.

Nothing makes me appreciate the view from the high places like memories of the low ones.

[jilinn.livejournal.com]

I can afford steak, but with my mate so far away and it's his "job" that supports us for now I am always careful about what I buy. I have been even lower than that though, getting free school lunches because my parents were scraping by. I am very thankful to be able to buy good food now for me and my son while his dad is away. Having had to scrape by taught me how to save money and it has really helped in the long run.

[beetlecat.livejournal.com]

I think that's my favorite kind of ice cream :) I don't think I've ever bought any, but I rarely buy ice cream. I like it, but I'm still cheap. I save my money for things I need.. like art supplies :D

[lin-chan.livejournal.com]

Especially for a newlywed couple, I know Oliver and I have a lot to be grateful for. You hear all kinds of stories about young couples who have to choose between paying tithing and eating that week. Oliver's often saying he could be making more, but considering the fact that we have a cute clean, warm little apartment and plenty of food to eat, and even money for a tree and presents and other fun stuff. I think we're doing more than fine.
And that's just monetarily. Emotionally, I don't think I've ever been so happy in my whole life. >^n_n^<

[graydown.livejournal.com]

Paying tithing? What's that?

[babael.livejournal.com]

It's nice to be able to afford the little things and even nicer to finally be able to splurge a bit.

[2dlife.livejournal.com]

Tithing is a Christian "law" that says to pay 10% (or some other fraction) of your income to the Church. I think it's particularly important in the LDS faith.

[graydown.livejournal.com]

So it's charity, then? Or is it more like a tax? I've heard that churches in Germany (well, Bavaria) are allowed to tax their members, and the government will even step in and seize people's property if the don't pay.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

It's charity. There's no requirement to pay it, and no consequences if you don't.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Well, no consequences as far as legal stuff goes, or anything. You're supposed to be a full tithe payer if you want to attend LDS temples, but that works on an honor system. They ask "so, do you tithe?" and you say "yes," and that's it.

[graydown.livejournal.com]

*nods* That makes sense.

[silveradept]

While I've never been that low (yet, I could still be working on getting there once I get out of university), I've had frugality put into my brain from day one... and seen some of the effects that happen when it's not there. If it weren't for gracious support from people, well, I'd probably know it all too intimately. We'll see how I fare when the loans come due.

Is it wrong to hope you never get to that point, while simultaneously realizing the inability to truly appreciate someone who's been there and came back?

[2dlife.livejournal.com]

I think what SPark was trying to say is that she hopes everyone learns the lessons of deep appreciation for hardship and frugality and the gifts one has now. Ideally, they shouldn't have to suffer thus to learn it, but such suffering automatically leads to such learning.

[silveradept]

Perhaps if everyone suffered that sort of life for a time, everyone would work harder at trying to make sure nobody suffered that kind of life at any time. That could be my optimism speaking, though.