^They're not all bad though!! Think of happiness and love and excitement and all the lovely ones

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These last few weeks since coming home from Uni have been a real eye opener. Being on Job-seekers allowance and working at the cinema (which is in a shopping centre right beside some of Belfast's rougher areas) has shown me just how lucky I've been in life so far.
For me, being on benefits is a temporary measure (although I have this job at the moment, it's currently a temporary contract (might be made permanent if I stand out among the other temps) and only about 16 hours a week, so I still qualify), but for most of the other people in that waiting room it's their reality. Whilst my £57 can be put away for later or spent on nice things like clothes and going out with friends or driving lessons, they need that money to buy food and pay rent and actually survive, and it really isn't very much if you add it all up.
A lot of the customers here at the cinema are from lower-income backgrounds, too (due to its location on the edge of the city-centre). I've really learned a lot about life in such a short amount of time, and I'll never forget how lucky I've been. The fact that I've got plenty of food and a nice place to live and a disposable income, and the ability and enablement to go to University is something I've really taken for granted up until now.
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Jeez... that got deep. I need to make my bed