The Daily G.I.F.T. from The GratiDude

There is good news happening daily, and we can make our own to add to it.

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Gratitude

Intention

First

Things

The G.I.F.T. Today

Grateful-to know that the world I see is simply a reflection of what I see and experience inside.

Intention-feel and share the blessing

First-lights camera

Things-bean logistics

Morning Platitude from The GratiDude

It was our Aunt Peggy that gave my brother Sean the real scoop on the degree of poverty that her and my dad, her big brother, experienced in Ann Arbor Michigan in the second half of the 1930s.

Our grandfather was born some 75 years earlier by then in 1860 in Illinois and his first memory is being told to put his Sunday shoes and clothes on so that they could pay the respects to President Lincoln‘s casket which was returning home after John Wilkes Booth had shot those shots.

You can tell by this intro that my perspective on poverty in the United States of America is highly informed from a historical perspective with firsthand testimony and little need for textbooks or any media interpretation that might distance me from the truth.

One of the high-level takeaways from talking to anyone that’s experienced poverty in a highly developed country like the United States is the psychological impact of the ongoing feeling a need to compare your financial situation and to equate that to somehow being a level of success and even position in the community.

It’s a very Calvinistic Christian interpretation of how God shows his favor to those that have accumulated wealth and it is the reason why those pilgrims back in the in the day would emphasize putting out their harvest in large piles in conspicuous ways so that neighbors and strangers alike could see that they were favored by the creator through their bountiful harvest as proof.

From there, things just got worse here from a conspicuous consumption standpoint as objects and material things got shiny and bigger and louder and more in-your-face and that only exacerbated feelings of shame and relative un-worth. these feelings simply spread and grow pro-rata as did the culture and fever of consumption.

For my aunt Peggy and my dad, they were asked to collect coal that spilled off the top of the trains on the way home and to use a canvas bag that they could stash in the bushes in such a way that they could reuse it daily and keep their eyes peeled for any of that heating element that came from the belly of mother Earth known as coal.

For me, I didn’t have to collect coal and I could limp through junior high with the right pair of shoes because I would subsidize my wardrobe expenditures with my own money from mowing lawns and shoveling sidewalks, but all that came crashing down when the trip to Washington DC was announced in ninth grade, and we had heard about all of the escapades and shenanigans that kids before us had done when they were away in Washington DC with just a few chaperones.

I recall exactly that it was $250, the transportation would be by bus, and it was about five days long and you would see all the different monuments and I believe staying in some sort of dormitory. I don’t recall the details because obviously I wasn’t there.

Where I was that week, not on the Bus, Gus, I was at Slauson Jr. High with the other poor kids.

Yes, relative poverty can indeed create long-term trauma, particularly in childhood, leading to increased risk of mental health issues, and potentially impacting brain development and future opportunities.

Here’s a more detailed explanation:

Poverty as a Traumatic Experience:

Living in poverty can be a traumatic experience, characterized by constant stress, lack of resources, and exposure to violence or other adverse events.

Increased Risk of Trauma:

Children and families living in poverty are often exposed to more traumatic experiences, such as violence, neglect, and abuse, which can lead to mental health problems like PTSD.

Impact on Brain Development:

The chronic stress of poverty can negatively impact brain development, particularly in early childhood, potentially leading to difficulties with learning, problem-solving, and emotional regulation.

Intergenerational Trauma:

Trauma experienced during childhood can have lasting effects, potentially leading to intergenerational poverty and trauma, where the cycle of poverty and trauma continues across generations.

Mental Health Consequences:

Poverty is associated with increased risks of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other disorders.

Social and Economic Consequences:

The long-term effects of poverty and trauma can also lead to reduced educational and professional attainment, further limiting opportunities, and perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

Social Stigma and Isolation:

Living in poverty can also lead to social stigma and isolation, further exacerbating feelings of trauma and hopelessness.

Lack of Access to Resources:

Families in poverty may face difficulties accessing essential resources, such as healthcare, education, and mental health services, which can worsen the effects of trauma

All my closest friends from junior high went to Washington DC on that trip. Scott, Tony, John, Tim…I can go on and on.

I remember Sammy Jones asking me in gym class one of those first few days when there were only a handful of people left in the different classes because everyone else had gone to Washington DC. “ Why ain’t you in Washington, KC?”

“Shiiiiiiiit….” I started to respond, and then I felt that feeling in my throat, as if I were going to start to cry. I quickly shut that shit down hard!

“Man, I’ve been to Washington DC and fuck riding on a bus with a bunch of other motherfuckers for like a day. You know what I mean?.”

Sammy was like “ yeah right that bus would suck, but I still would like to go. I’ve never been to Washington DC, and I would love to see the Washington Monument and shit. I wouldn’t even ask my mom for that kind of money though she’d smack my ass.”

And so it goes when you accept limited opportunities due to poverty.

Sammy didn’t give a fuck what I thought, and he was honest and open about his situation, and probably had less traumas result of it than I did when I was stammering and lying and making up stories because I was ashamed of my financial situation and the fact that relatively speaking, it had become clear over the last few weeks that I was not a middle class kid as I thought I was.

I was something else.