What are you thinking RIGHT NOW?

[Marizzle]

My thumb hurts. But why...?

[Gemini]

Reminds me of that time I heard the US government shut down because the Republicans in congress threw a fit. That's most likely a gross oversimplification but that's what it sounded like.

Yeah, that's basically what happened. xD Or at least as far as I know.

And yeah, in all honesty while I'm as left-wing as they come, I can respect the right-wing ideal of being rewarded for hard work and the like. The problem is that it just isn't that simple in reality. Most people never get the chance to become rich regardless of the hard work they've put in their working lives, nowadays you either have to be either ridiculously innovative, really lucky or be born into wealth to get rich and unfortunately that excludes most of us.

Reminds me of a quote I've seen thrown around recently: "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." It's not 100% true but there's definitely some truth into it.

^ I think a lot of people who think like that simply just don't know what it means to live in a truly poor household. If all it took to be rich was 'hard work', why would anyone be poor by choice? I guarantee you there's an awful lot of people who'd do anything to get out of poverty, but what they do will simply never be enough to make a decent living because of the current system. It's screwed up.

Another Book lol: show

Oh yeah, that's definitely a thing here. It's like I explained with my dad, and with my grandmother. Both poor, both voting Republican because they seem to think... well, I don't really know what they seem to think. I remember my dad would always attend seminars on how to make money off of real estate and such like things, even though we don't have near enough money to even think about doing that, and therefore never have. Frankly, I don't really get it. Sometimes I'm surprised that he thinks the way he does because he really isn't that religious, he's always been poor... despite being what Tumblrites would call a "ciswhitemalescumoftheearth", he's never really had any noticeable privilege or wealth coming from that... so why vote for these people? It confuses me. I think he only really clings to those beliefs because that's just what he's always thought and what he grew up around. I'm not really sure. But I think even that is weak at times. He seems to be very bitter towards religion in general, and towards his family, so IDK. I know for a fact that he stopped watching the news so much some years ago, and we do tend to agree sometimes politically, so... I'm really not sure anymore. Like I said, I love him to death, but sometimes his beliefs confuse me a little, and I think mine confuse him despite us having so much in common.

I mean, did hard work get him places? Yeah, of course. We are better off than we've ever been. But it's not like we are rich. In fact, I'm pretty sure we are barely middle class now and we certainly weren't even that two or three years ago. We probably would've been homeless or something if it wasn't for my grandmother, who still works a forty-hour-a-week job despite being in her mid-70s. Neither of them really have any money saved up that we can speak of, so what happens when they retire? Can't say for sure.

My mom, too, doesn't have any money and has basically been living alone or with her dad for the last ten years, despite coming from a well-off family and having some siblings who actually seem to be very upper-class, if not rich. But that's another story, I guess. My mom's another can of worms, lol.

Again, I get that there's always gonna be lazy people and people who take advantage. But should it really be expected that people work their a**es off just to have maybe the same opportunities as someone else who didn't have to work for them at all? I mean, I guess life isn't fair and all that, but... IDK. Poor people shouldn't have to worry about basic safety and living conditions. I saw the amount of work my dad had to put in just to get a better life after he got out of the military, to pursue his dream as an engineer and to raise two kids and all, but like... I dunno. I don't want to discount that at all. But not all people are that strong or would succeed so well. That shouldn't be the norm. In fact, in many ways my dad isn't the norm. He decided to raise me differently than his parents raised him. And I can say for a fact that, statistically, that isn't usually what happens.

If my dad had chosen to be abusive, and had treated me the same way that he had been treated by his father, or his step-father, then I probably wouldn't have had anyone growing up. I might have become a very different person... or, even worse (though I hate to say it), there's a chance I might not be here at all. It sounds melodramatic but it's the truth. Cycles of poverty and abuse tend to persist. It's really only sheer luck that that didn't continue on down to me, at least in the sense that... well, I can't choose my parents. I couldn't choose how I grew up, and neither could my dad, but those are things that alter our entire lives. Sometimes there's only really so much that can be done to escape from that.

Really, I feel like if anyone acts entitled, it's not the poor people. I remember feeling so alone and isolated in high school because of all the opportunities everyone else had that I didn't. They all seemed so happy and they seemed to be doing so well without trying, and they seemed to be able to get whatever they wanted. Meanwhile, I would've liked to work a job, for some experience and some extra money, as that could've helped, and would've looked good for college... but it just wasn't feasible. It was all these happy-go-lucky middle-class two-parent kids that could get their parents to drive them everywhere and could do ten different extra-curricular activities that had all the jobs and credentials. They could afford what they wanted and did whatever, and I always felt like things were just handed to them, and like they were worlds away. They never really bothered to try to understand me, either. I guess in retrospect they had no more control over it than I did; I can't really hate them because that would be so contrary to everything I've said... but of course, at the time, I didn't feel that way. I was very alienated and depressed and quite frankly, I was a very jealous person. I didn't have friends, for the most part. I didn't talk, and people didn't talk to me. I didn't have the sense of empathy that is so important to me today. I felt cold and spiteful, and honestly, I think that's one of the main reasons why I was so into Scar at the time. I guess there were other reasons, too, but I just remember being so attached to him, and feeling like if I could just know what it was that he was hiding and thinking and going through, it would be the same things that I was then. Only he was able to do something about it (even if it was evil or whatever) and better his situation and get rid of everybody holding him back... and I felt very held back.

There's a real chance that I might not have made it into this college... hell, there's a good chance I might not have made it past high school. It was really only the sheer fact that I was smart that got me through, because frankly, I was never there. My attendance was piss poor for three whole years. If my school had had a policy on failing kids for poor attendance (which I know is a thing in many areas... again, really only sheer luck that this didn't happen to me), then I almost certainly would've flunked out of high school. And who knows what would've happened to me after that.

I mean, maybe I would've come back from that... but then, maybe I wouldn't have. I can't say, but it's scary to think about... how many things really were just beyond my control.

Like Julie said, I don't really care about being mega-rich. I don't want to sit on piles of cash and drive a Mercedes and have ten kids. I don't want to live that life. I would feel guilty. I just want to have enough money to be secure, because life sucks without it. I don't want to be poor. I want to be able to live a quiet life in the country with people I care about, and work with horses and write novels and be out in nature. I want to have enough money to do that and not have to worry anymore.

There might be a chance for that for me. And while I did work hard for it, and there have been many struggles for me, I am grateful of what I have and the chances I've been given, and I don't want to squander that. There are some people who simply aren't lucky enough to be able to fully overcome their circumstances.

I think that's kinda the main reason for my moving left politically. It's not that I'm not hard-working, or afraid of hard work. I'm always gonna try and put my best foot forward and be confident and positive. But the simple fact is... it's just not always reasonable to expect that from people in every situation. Not everyone can do that, all the time. Some people seem to think that everyone can just suck it up and move on with their lives, but it isn't always that simple. Really, I don't want other people to have to go through what I experienced, or what my dad experienced. I don't want other people to have to feel the way that I once did... and honestly, I think that's one of the core reasons right there. Just because my family and others have had to go through this pain, doesn't mean that I would ever wish it upon anyone else.

God, I don't know where that even came from... I hate feeling so melodramatic. I still am really self-conscious when it comes to sharing personal feelings like that, I guess. I hope you don't take any of this the wrong way. I don't wish to be seen as a whiner.

It just felt important to share, I guess.

[Queen Elsa]

I think doing that was a bad idea. Hopefully I can get past this barrier.

[Marizzle]

I can't take that song out of my head now...

[Carl]

Twin, you're already writing books. Look at that one there! Now it's just time to move to the country.

[Gemini]

^ Oh my god, I know. I don't even know where that came from. Impressive, isn't it? Contact my agent and let's get that crap published.

I swear I just wanted to type out some quick responses and next thing I know I've written like an essay. If I ever do move to the country now, I'm honestly just going to come back to MLK, compile all the long posts I've made here into a book, call it "Twin's Disjointed Symposium on Random Crap for 200 Pages", and then see if people buy it. xD

[Marizzle]

I'm glad tomorrow's Thursday. No school on Friday!

[Queen Elsa]

^Same here.

[Leviara_Lioness]

I thinking that its been a fair day, had some fun on IMVU, daddy lion bought me 20,000 Credits $19.99, so I could buy some (Yes... Virtual Air Stuff ) xD But HEY xD I Bought Venus and Mars too, for 1,580 Credits or both for about $1.58 LOL xD And No i'm not reselling them, cause on IMVU you can trade merch bought with credits with others! But I Bought Oh yessssssssssss (Other) thingys too, why, they were SO cool i cant even remember what they were xD lol xD J/K I know what they were but it was Awesome, I'm now down to 349 Credits out of 20,000! I'll save those for later. Now in a bit I'll get to my AT's/Requests, in my lionesses Room/Den!

[Simbaholikov]

Heh someone's trying a little too hard lmao.