There is a plethora of discussion and information about poverty available online, but the overwhelming majority of articles discuss poverty on a macro level, or general impacts that poverty has on family life. The reality of poverty is quite different. Poverty impacts the individual and, like suggesting that when the general economy improves (or deteriorates), individuals also feel the impact equally, general discussions or solutions do not consider the individual fully.
Poverty is not just about a lack of money. It is not just about paucity. It is about the physical, social and psychological impact that poverty inflicts.
Further, monetary poverty does not equal to other forms of poverty: social, intellectual, emotional and psychological. All of these can intertwine. Sometimes they operate independently.
I was raised in an extremely impoverished (by North American standards) household, but our lack of money did not deter my parents from insisting that we explore the world intellectually.
“Fear doesn’t stop death. It stops life.” Ann raised her four offspring exactly the same way, insisting that they face all the hardships that life could toss at them and never back down. Face fear, without flinching. It was the paucity of the family’s everyday existence that would fortify them, shape them and force them to survive. Her mantra was more than tough love. It was a snarling, attack-the-world-before-it-attacks-you philosophy that the children could either adopt and embrace or from which they could flee. Garry, of all her kids, took her dictum to heart. After all, Ann’s and her offspring’s hearts were not likely to be used for other purposes. And Garry needed her approval, more than anything in his life. He feared losing it, with every thing he did and every breath he took.
His story is not unique, but his life is exceptional. A mechanical genius, a social eremite, Garry struggled to find his own way, but remained bound by the rules that Ann imposed, even in her death. He craved love and affection, yet fled from intimacy. Always struggling to succeed, always falling back as triumph seemed within reach, Garry lived the only way he could manage. It never was enough.
We lived a very rich life regarding learning and, while I had to forego university for a decade due to lack of money, we were enriched by the opportunities to educate ourselves that our parents put in front of us.
While we lacked money, relative to others in our community, we still were poor, but not exceptionally so, compared to them. The village embraced assorted ways of providing an enriched social environment, if we wished to accept them.
Psychological poverty manifests itself in myriad ways, but, often, people living in financial poverty feel stigmas that stunt their psychological growth.
Our family suffered from another poverty: emotional poverty. In a trade-off between intellectual limitations and family bonding, my mother chose “brain smarts,” not family love. It is a common issue in families who were abused by the residential schools efforts in North America.
However, the poverty that impacts life the most is financial, and both macro-poverty and micro-poverty need to be examined and understood, if we want to maximize our society’s potential. Too many otherwise gifted and capable people fall through the cracks and thus fail to contribute as well as they could, because they are limited by lack of money.
This series of ideas and articles intends to examine the failings, the specifics of poverty and solutions. We invite you to offer your feedback as often as you can, so we ca expound on this vital issue.
When the hen lays her eggs, the shells are soft and pliable, forming their durable armour as they experience the outside world. Each of us enters the world, with similar flawed and weak shells. Our shells are not broken and cracked by life, but are formed of the fragments that we encounter, piece by piece, growing more complete with each experience. What We Have Lost is a series of disconnected anecdotes in the lives of a family shaped by extreme poverty. These individual narratives chronicle the slow sculpting of the characters, as they fuse with their world, enveloped in mental illness. Molded by their mother’s paranoia, social isolation and obsessive drive to instill the hunger for learning and sense of duty to others, the four siblings evolve in unique and often pathological ways. Not knowing or understanding the bonds of familial love, Garry, Judy, Rob and Roger need to discover their own path to personal peace. None may make it. What We Have Lost exposes the cruelty of poverty. It opens up the heart of that world, in surprising and convoluted ways. The pathos is clear, the hidden pleasures need unearthing. What We Have Lost is a collection of anecdotes, but, as you read, you will find that they are far from disconnected, after all.
Job Interview
The American Dream is defined as the equal opportunity available to any American to reach their aspirations. It has always been lofty and illusory. However, the same dream is proffered in Canada, with a less unequal base from which to launch toward one’s dreams. All of it is premised on the idea that everyone wants to be an entrepreneur.
It is far from true. Indeed, many people neither want to be the boss, want the responsibilities and uncertainty of business ownership or are equipped to handle the role. Some people, too, are innovators, creators and initiators but flag when confronted with never-ending daily routine of owning a business or doing a specific, repetitive job. Others detest starting a project or undertaking but are more than eager to put in endless hours attending to detail.
Yet, the western world’s version of the American Dream still focuses on entrepreneurship.
Here, those in poverty are at an extreme disadvantage, with neither the capital or the open window of surplus time away from work and family to start a business or risk family finances on the gamble.
For those that do not aspire to business ownership but have exceptional talent to create, or to achieve success through their skills and talents, if they require further education, they often are unable to afford it.
But the handicap that poverty places on many people is far more basic than achieving the American Dream. It is simply finding a job suited to their talents and interests. Poverty prevents them from competing on a level playing field with those that have access to money. It is a hierarchy that forces the poorest to remain in the lowest social caste.
The impact of the problem is best presented through an actual example, occurring four and a half decades ago.
The young man had an interview arranged for his dream job: working at a newspaper where he hoped to rise to the level of reporter. He possessed great writing skills, always at the top of his class in writing, and having taught himself the core techniques of journalism. The job was as a copy boy: a runner and go-pher in the newsroom. It would lead to great things.
The lad lived just outside the city and his family had no vehicle in which to ride to the interview. However, a neighbour volunteered to drive the boy to the edge of the city, where the neighbour worked. From there, the boy would walk almost two miles to the interview, since he could not afford bus fare.
The night prior, his mother had cut his very curly hair. As expected, the haircut was not very professional-looking.
Very early on the morning of the interview, the aspiring journalist arose, put on the only shirt that could reasonably be called “dressy,” washed and preened as well as he could, Put on the one pair of long pants that did not have holes, stains or patches, and laced his shoes.
The pants were Army surplus green khaki, but it was all his family could afford. The shirt had a resewn pocket and the cuffs were very frayed. Both were clean but worn.
His shoes were another story. The children in the family received one pair of shoes each year, bought used. They lasted from September until they wore out, with the soles separating. They also doubled as gym shoes and winter boots. For all of his school life, those shoes had not been shoes, but army surplus boots. In the first years, the smallest size available was many sizes too large. In high school, his feet actually had fitted the shoes available, but by April 1, not one of the four siblings had shoes whose soles were still attached. Cardboard lined them. Even before the snow melted in the spring, all of the family went barefoot at home.
Of course, this was extreme poverty, but it is common.
Anticipating that, this year, he would need shoes more appropriate for his new job after graduation, he had convinced his mother to buy oxfords. They lasted less well than the army boots.
Two days earlier, the young man had used fishing line to sew his soles to the uppers. It was makeshift, but he hoped it would hold until he had completed his interview.
That morning, in mid-May, he skipped school, eager to land his job. He was confident. His principal had provided a rosy reference, and he had samples of work to show. He had completed a very basic portfolio.
That morning, it rained hard. It was windy.
Throughout the half hour that he walked to the city centre, he was drenched. Just before he got to the newspaper building, the sole on one of his shoes split.
In the interview, he was dishevelled, soaked and looked like he had slept on the street, his curly hair dripping and in disarray. The water revealed how threadbare his shirt was and his pants drooped.
His confidence evaporated. He handled the interview modestly well, but he could not present his portfolio. It had been ruined.
He did not get the job.
If he had been able to afford transportation and refuge from the rain, things might have been better. If his clothes had not been so shabby, his odds might have improved. If he had not been required to walk a half hour in the downpour, he would not have appeared o bedraggled. If all of these things had occurred, his confidence may have improved his potential success.
The interviewer—the city editor—was blunt. He told the lad that he thought the boy had not taken the job offer sufficiently serious, since he had not put any effort into his appearance.
Qualifications were ignored. It was all about appearance, and the boy’s poverty had cost him his dresm job.
This fellow never became a journalist. For years, he worked as an office clerk, and did succeed modestly, being promoted twice in over thirty years. His skills went unused.
Poverty not only had cost him his American Dream, it had cost a prospective employer access to a very talented employee.
Promotions
The reference to the glass ceiling generally is used to describe the limits to which women are allowed to rise in a corporation because of their gender, but it applies equally to people of colour and just as universally to people living in poverty. Of course, the trifecta of all three combined is almost fatal.
Promotions, sadly, often come based on appearance rather than ability.
A young man was overlooked twice for a job promotion for which he had demonstrated equal or better skills and knowledge than other candidates, but he lacked the finesses of decent clothes and polished hygiene. He was not dirty or unkempt, but his haircuts were basic, his clothes well worn. Combined with a twenty-year inoculation in the mannerisms of poverty and he faced an uphill battle for a job that clearly should have been his.
He finally received the promotion when an objective scored screening process and aptitude tests placed him far above the other candidates applying for the position.
Like women or people of colour, poor people often must far surpass others in order to be considered equally for a position.
Field trips
Grade school field trips are exciting experiences for every student. High school field trips generally are more informative but offer students a window into hands-on experience. When a student cannot participate, it creates a number of issues.
Today’s field trips frequently are more complex and costly than decades ago. Some of these trips include international excursions.
School children from families in poverty often are unable to afford to go on these field trips, frequently making up excuses to avoid being stigmatized because of their lack of funds. In-school events also present barriers, wherever a cost is incurred.
In turn, lack of access to these events denies the child an equal opportunity for hands-on learning, further limiting their opportunities.
Traffic Fines & Bank Charges
Traffic fines, NSF fees, late payments and bank charges all present a disproportionate burden on the poor. The wealthy feel the effect of a large fine or fee less than the poor, which often can cripple a poor family financially.
In Finland and Switzerland, traffic fines are based on the income of the offender, with large fee levied against the person with high income and a proportionally lower amount against the poorer person. This, then, impacts each person equally, instead of allowing the rich to feel no real punishment for a traffic violation.
Yet, no country imposes bank fees based on income. This is a two-edged sword, since the more wealthy generally do not incur NSF fees, have fewer late payment levies and are granted privileged status for bank fees in general. At the same time, when a person has low or marginal income, they are much more likely to have overdrawn accounts while they wait for their paycheck to be deposited and almost exclusively are victims of extremely high NSF charges. Many Canadian banks have NSF fees exceeding $35, when many of the cheques that are NSF are less than $30.
As a cascading effect, these repeat late and NSF fees impact the person’s credit score, jacking up interest rates and excluding the low-income person from more beneficial credit.
Timing of Income and Expenses
Financial planners recommend keeping approximately six months of income available as liquid assets, for emergencies. The Canadian government allows taxpayers to contribute $7,000 per year to a tax free savings account. These two ideas are intended to assist low- and middle-income earners to save money, yet neither is viable for people in poverty.
In fact, any savings amount is a luxury beyond the reach of most poor people.
The typical low-income family not only merely hangs on, waiting for the next payday, but usually falls short before that day arrives. It is difficult to manage between-paycheque finances when bills don’t coincide with paydays. And for the casual or hourly worker whose paycheque varies, even more unpredictability factors into routine expense income management.
This unpredictability causes immense stress on partners and families and can lead to undesirable choices. Pay the rent or pay the utilities? Foregoing rent means that the landlord must begin proceedings against you, which takes a lot of time in many places, but also impacts credit rating and future tenancy. Buy food or keep the heat on? In some jurisdictions, electric companies cannot turn off power in a school period if there are young kids in the house. Work under the table? More likely, you open yourself up to unscrupulous employers who take advantage of your vulnerability. Managing expense between paycheques is not just a question of financial skill, it impacts on a multitude
Insulation of House Versus Heating Costs
It is easy to suggest that the best way for a low-income homeowner to decrease heating costs is to take advantage of the myriad incentives and grants available to retrofit a home with upgraded insulation, upgraded heating systems and upgraded windows or doors. Indeed, that is a very cost-effective way to decrease ongoing operating expenses.
However, almost every grant requires that the homeowner lay out costs “Up front,” and recover that amount from the government or utility providing the incentive. Even if the homeowner is able to access loans or money from the installer, that amount rarely equals the total cost. Rather, the credits offer a portion of the total expense.
That makes it difficult for impoverished owners to afford to save the money they would save from improved energy efficiency. They end up choosing to pay the increased heating costs because they cannot afford to pay to recue them. It is an unfortunate irony.
As well, many people do not own their homes or apartments. Landlords may be loathe to upgrade insulation if the renter pays the utilities anyway, so the renter must continue to pay high utility costs.
Food Choices
The cost of food and groceries for the poor involves much more than just the actual cost of the food. The cost of storage, the ability to bulk buy, the ability to exercise choice in where to buy, the variety available and the cost of healthy food versus junk play major roles in food budgeting.
A few years ago, I flew north to one of the remote Canadian First nations reservations. The co pilot seat had been removed in this eight-passenger plane so that the northern grocery store could ship in potato chips in the spot. Why is this indicative of food choices? Because the chips were so light that the reservation could afford to fly in food, instead of waiting for winter roads to be ready and have heavier, but healthier foods shipped by land. Yes, this is an extreme example of how junk food becomes a more viable option than healthy food, but it is far from an isolated example (no pun intended).
In Mexico, an epidemic of obese children largely (again, no pun) can be attributed to Coca Cola being as cheap as bottled water, and more filling.
Why do many poor families not cook meals? Because the cost of utilities is prohibitive, and many have their electric or gas supplies shut off due to lack of payment. Other families do not have the time, because they are working multiple jobs.
Fridges often do not work, and families cannot afford to have them repaired, limiting storage options. While bulk buying or buying family sizes of food packages is a sensible option for larger families, those same families may not have enough money in each month’s food budget to purchase in bulk.
Local corner stores or small, local supermarkets offer a much smaller array of items than bigger national chains, at a higher price than stores nearby. However, when the trade off is to pay a taxi to go to the far-distant supermarket or shop locally, those in poverty often only can choose to buy in their area, at much higher costs.
Last, the price of poor quality, low nutrition foods generally is less than the same volume of healthy foods, but junk food fills an empty stomach more readily than nutritious vegetables, so parents choose junk food to fill their kids’ bellies rather than high-priced, not-easy-to-access health food.
Food choice is not really a choice for many living in poverty.
Thoughts on Being Poor
In poverty, you accept that your life is “normal.” There is a perverse pride in poverty, with “membership” almost synonymous with gang membership. Like the mechanic who looks down on the white-collar worker who can’t fix his own car, many poor people “look down” on the rich, who they feel could not begin to survive living an impoverished lifestyle. Who, outside the world of the poor, would have imagined that the poor could feel sorry for the rich?