© 2014 Lynsey

The Poor


There have been times in my life when I have had no money. Not just not much money, but no money.

They were not good times. I don’t not look back on them fondly. They were not character building. They were destructive, horrible times.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I wondered about the lady I saw scavenging stuff from outside the Salvation Army second-hand shop this afternoon.

Where do you have to be to take from people who are dedicated to selling donated goods in order to do good work for people? People who are often poor.

For all I know she’s an opportunist who loads up from the stash of donated goods, and who then has them listed on Trademe within the hour. You know, pays for an annual cruise, rather than take it out of the interest from the trust fund.

I would’ve thought someone who was deeply poor would’ve been loading up on clothing, rather than items that look like they had a resale value. Or maybe that is the point – if you come across a resource and you need money, so you take it and convert it into money. It’s difficult to eat donated clothing after all.

What would I have done in the same situation?

Sure, the lack of money is the root of all evil.

Do you really have to rip off those less fortunate than yourself? I know it’s a time honoured tradition. I know about the 1%. I know. That doesn’t make it any less contemptible to me.

I don’t want to judge the lady.

But I do, anyway.

And I’m grateful that today, today, I don’t have to make the call for myself. I’m ok.

And the people I love. We’re ok.

Because if it came to that, it’s a decision I wouldn’t make in a heartbeat.

It’s a decision I’ve already made.

Manifesto
06. Every day you make choices.
07. Every day making no choice is a choice.
08. Every day choose to bring about change.

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