If you had no money...

MorganGrayson · 10-19-2005

Chris...I can answer your question with validation. We came to California, put nearly $500 of medication a month on my husband's thick collection of credit cards and went bankrupt. My husband has worked two full time minimum wage jobs and a time to keep us indoors. He once worked for a company the got arrested by the FCC, FBI and a whole lot of other letters. He had to sign documents to get his coffee mug back. (The company owner went to prison and to this day I have no idea what for.)

We've been scary poor. Our kids got their "new school clothes" from the thrift shop. The first time that happened, I cried through the entire thing. My husband gently pointed out what a great time the kids were having.

There's a thousand stories. But...the question was: were we happy? Yes, we were. Other parents would complain about their kids, saying "oh, you know what it's like: they have to have the latest designer jeans..." I could - and did - say "no, I don't know what that's like." Being raised poor meant my kids weren't greedy for things. They got something much more important. They got *time.*

I got a phone call once from one of my kids when she had long been out on her own. She'd just purchased "the absolute BEST pair of shoes I've ever owned in my LIFE!!!" She was so jazzed about these shoes. She'd purchased them from a neighbor's yard sale...for 25 cents.

Does this mean I'd rather be poor than rich? No, of course not. I'd much rather be rich...and intend to be so some day. Money means security to me, not "things." I want the safe feeling money will bring. I want to own my own home to grow old in. I want my husband to have a big screen TV. I want to buy books when they first come out, rather than waiting for when they go to paperback.

I am glad that the values were set during the "poverty years," though. It will prevent anything stupid from happening during the "not poor" years.

10-19-2005	#7
MorganGrayson None $100 for every ImLive sign-up Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 4,321	Re: If you had no money... Chris...I can answer your question with validation. We came to California, put nearly $500 of medication a month on my husband's thick collection of credit cards and went bankrupt. My husband has worked two full time minimum wage jobs and a time to keep us indoors. He once worked for a company the got arrested by the FCC, FBI and a whole lot of other letters. He had to sign documents to get his coffee mug back. (The company owner went to prison and to this day I have no idea what for.) We've been scary poor. Our kids got their "new school clothes" from the thrift shop. The first time that happened, I cried through the entire thing. My husband gently pointed out what a great time the kids were having. There's a thousand stories. But...the question was: were we happy? Yes, we were. Other parents would complain about their kids, saying "oh, you know what it's like: they have to have the latest designer jeans..." I could - and did - say "no, I don't know what that's like." Being raised poor meant my kids weren't greedy for things. They got something much more important. They got time. I got a phone call once from one of my kids when she had long been out on her own. She'd just purchased "the absolute BEST pair of shoes I've ever owned in my LIFE!!!" She was so jazzed about these shoes. She'd purchased them from a neighbor's yard sale...for 25 cents. Does this mean I'd rather be poor than rich? No, of course not. I'd much rather be rich...and intend to be so some day. Money means security to me, not "things." I want the safe feeling money will bring. I want to own my own home to grow old in. I want my husband to have a big screen TV. I want to buy books when they first come out, rather than waiting for when they go to paperback. I am glad that the values were set during the "poverty years," though. It will prevent anything stupid from happening during the "not poor" years.