The Importance Of Growing Up Poor

Growing up poor was important for my intellectual development. I was angry, upset, and humiliated that my parents were (and still are) on welfare. I would go through life hearing people say that poor people are lazy, need to find a job, stop leeching off people who actually work, and so on. The people who typically said these phrases lived in their own ignorant world, without actual regard or compassion for others who aren't so fortunate. Not once did I view unwealthy people as "lazy", in fact, they are one of the hardest workers I have ever seen in my life.

Even so, I was embarrassed. I remember standing shamefully in grocery store lines and hearing my mom whisper "EBT". I remember telling adults, that I see daily, that I need proof that