this I face too. People think I am an artist, I must be rich. Hah! We live on fixed incomes and are happy for the $15 a month food stamps. We are also getting some meals delivered from our Office for the Aging.
And I just learned I must pay huge amounts up front for pain treatment. I am always anxious. We have food, thanks.
I’ve had a poem in my head around this subject for a good week-ish now. It all happened after I stopped into Local First Grocer, a local food co-op that only sources local food. I asked if they take EBT, which I have been on up until the end of this month. They said, “not yet.” I knew the cashier and I mentioned something about going off of food stamps soon, and that it was kind of embarrassing.
“No, it isn’t.”
Say what?
You see I’ve bought into the American philosophy, namely this: If I am on food stamps, I am abusing the system, I should have done better, and I should work harder to get myself out of the mess I put myself in.
Nevermind that I am a poor college student who just graduated with $40,000 in student loans. Nope. Nevermind that.
I was still just a broke…
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