Bills. So many bills… Medical, Rent/Mortgage, Groceries, Utilities… when did diapers get so expensive… and the ever elusive “surprise bill”. I spend most of my waking hours at a job where I have no say and the paycheck is never enough. I miss my kid, I miss my partner. Hell, I miss time to myself to read a fun book or listen to a new album. And there are so many families struggling even more than this! What will my kids’ future be? Is this really it? These thoughts plague me before bed and dammit if they don’t get me in the morning too. When I talk to my brother, sister, co-workers, neighbors… It’s the same. For a long time I felt like I was missing something. A key ingredient to making life work.
And they tell us… Well if you just worked harder… If you would have taken the right paths in life… It’s human nature to be greedy so you gotta take what you can when you can… Keep working hard and respect the guys up top – they know what they’re doing…
Lies. I know they lie to me. Why would they want me thinking and moving only to feel my chains and the sense of urgency to be free of them. Why would they want us knowing the power we have united?
The smile on my kids face is like a powerful beam of light that breaks me out of my downward spiral. That sweet laugh as they run up and down the hall. For a small moment I’m lost in bliss.
Well, they’re not gonna beat this family down. I know there are others moving and feeling their chains too. They may have the power now and we may still wake up with the worries of groceries and rent. But we have the sense of justice and the fire in our bellies to last us until we break free. Our families deserve better than this. Our communities deserve better than this and together we are strong. We working class families know when we’re being duped and taken for a ride. We feel it in our bones. Working class families must unite and create a society worthy of our children and the future they bring.