I Earned Every Penny I Have

I Earned Every Penny I Have

It is safe to say that I believe in a safety net for the poor and lower income workers. If you work, you should not be cold or hungry! If you are unable to work, even if it's because you're a little nuts, you should not be cold or hungry. Honestly, I believe that if you don't work because you don't want to, you should not be cold or hungry. Giving is never wrong. I'd rather be called a sucker than selfish.

One day last Spring I was walking down Chicago Avenue with an old friend. We were talking about money and our individual problems where money is concerned. Actually my friend was much better off than me. I live in a modest apartment and drive a seven year old used car. He has two houses and drives a Mercedes. His wife doesn't have to work. I made a comment about the fact that my sector of the economy was depressed and I make less money than I did a few years ago. He said he was making less too, then he started in on taxes. He said he had to pay over $20,000. I commented that at least he can afford to pay his taxes, and then he said, "I earned every penny I have!" I was temporarily dazed. There was so much I wanted to say, such as, "What working person doesn't?" I wanted to remind him of the millions of people who work hard five, six, or even seven days a week and can barely survive, but I was silent. I wanted to tell him that people who aren't as smart or lucky as him deserve a good life too, but I held back. We walked to the corner and waited to cross. A disheveled man in a wheelchair was nearby. I heard him say, "spare change?" Stepping to him I pulled out a dollar bill and gave it to him. When I returned to my friend's side he turned to me and said, "sucker."

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