Before you read this, you should know that the facts of this story are made up, but are based on a true story from a newspaper article. It inspired to me to write this because it revealed a simple truth about human behavior. Perspective #1 The Nerve of Some People! I don’t know why I decided to come all the way to this grocery store for my lunch break again. It is always packed and I always end up skating in to work at the very last second. And I don’t want to see what happens when my boss has to talk to me about it a third time… “Oh, thank God,” I thought. I managed to find a line with only one person and not that many groceries. But, as if a guy could catch a break, I find the woman in front of me is having trouble remembering the PIN to her EBT card. I look around and every line in this place seems to be much longer. So I waited, albeit impatiently. She tries her PIN a second time and it doesn’t work. Doesn’t this woman understand that some of us have busy lives? These people on benefits don’t deserve handouts anyway. They don’t even try to make a decent living for themselves. They just live off tax dollars, money that I paid my share of by the way, every year, for many years. And they can’t even remember a 4-digit number. The nerve! She tries her PIN a third time and it still doesn’t work. Is she trying the same PIN over and over or what? I just don’t understand what can be going through a person’s head when they try the same numbers over again. Or maybe she is trying all of the 10 different PINs she uses for all her EBT cards, one at a time. I bet she buys them up on craigslist. I am about ready to take my wallet out to pay for her groceries just to get this woman out of my hair, but then something catches my eye. I look in her cart, and what do I see? Ice cream! What is THAT about? Certainly, there are more nutritious things to spend with MY tax dollars. There is no way I would help her after seeing that. So I slide my wallet back into my pocket. I wouldn’t want her to see it and ask me for money, which she is clearly capable of doing. Perspective #2 A Sad Celebration “Mommy, do you think I could have a birf-day party?” says Bella. I looked down into her eyes, holding back the tears I felt welling up, and said “I will see what I can do sweetheart, but you know how much mommy has been struggling with money lately. Now get some sleep Bella, I love you.” Instantly, my heart was broken by the look on her face. The hardest part was that it wasn’t even much to ask. But I couldn’t even afford a present and I don’t know how I am going to tell her. “Okay mommy, that’s okay. I luf you too.” No, it wasn’t okay. But it was some relief knowing that she thought it was. Ever since I was laid off six months ago, my life has been a downward slope. I get unemployment benefits, but it isn’t nearly as much as when I was working. I could barely live paycheck to paycheck as it was being a single mother, and now I am behind on rent, utilities, everything… At least I was able to get a little food assistance from the state so I can put dinner on the table. * * * And I just had to go down the frozen aisle. It was like a museum of things I could not afford, all of which I wanted to get for Bella’s birthday. Bella blurts out “Mommy, ice cream!” I paused for a moment, but only a moment. “Okay, I can’t say no to that face.” Plus, I spotted a great deal on the store brand. It’s not a cake, but at least it is something. Maybe it would soften the blow that I couldn’t get her a birthday present. “Happy Birthday sweetheart.” “Thank you Mommy!” * * * Here I am, at the register in the grocery store, and I cannot remember what they said the default PIN was. How embarrassing! And to make things worse, this guy behind me is staring a hole right through me. What is his problem anyway?
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 06:00:59 +0000
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