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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDid You Do Any of These 6 Activities Today? Then You’ve Got Class Privilege
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/12/everyday-class-privilege/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialWarfareWhen I landed my first-ever full-time, salaried job, I experienced firsthand what class mobility felt like. Just like that in what felt like an instant everything changed.
I could finally go out to happy hour without counting my drinks. I could budget to buy really good gifts for my family during the holidays. I could afford to buy fresh produce every week at the grocery store.
But I never stopped being aware of how different life had been when I was underemployed, underpaid, overworked, and stretched for cash.
Class privilege can show up in really big, visible ways in our world.
...
2. You Paid for Convenience
Youre running late, so you scrap your plan to make coffee and run to Starbucks instead. Youre working late hours, so you pay a little extra for Instacart delivery to grab groceries for dinner. Youre applying for jobs and going to interviews, so you hire a sitter. Its late and youre hungry, so you order take-out.
The ability to choose convenience even in moderation despite its added costs is very common in our culture.
Nobody thinks its gaudy to be seen with a pizza box, and people arent going to be shocked and awed by the fact that you hire a nanny for the weekends. These are seen as normal, everyday choices.
But for lots of folks, theyre experiences that are financially out of reach.
Most parents earning minimum wage or working in other low-wage jobs cant afford child care. Some folks budget so tightly that even that $2.50 iced coffee will break the bank. And close to 50 million Americans are food insecure.
<SNIP> The entire piece at the above link. Worth the read if only for a reminder.
Warpy
(111,292 posts)7. You have water piped to your house and can drink it right out of the tap.
Most of the world's population can't say that. Our neighbors to the south can't say that, they either boil their water or use a water service to deliver potable water by the 5 gallon jug, mostly because their infrastructure is old and needs extensive repair and the country just can't afford it.
I've had to use a water service when the military contaminated town wells. It's a pain in the ass.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Warpy
(111,292 posts)When you've been forced to use a water service for a while, the thought of using bottled water as conspicuous consumption becomes repellent. I do use a filter because I'm close to a pumping station and it comes out of the tap smelling like Clorox and makes my tea weird. But bottled water? No way. It's just laying privilege on top of privilege.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)kath
(10,565 posts)For the planet, all those gazillions of plastic bottles.
How on earth Madison Ave (orwhatever) convinced Murkans that it made sense to pay good money for what they could get nearly for free is utterly beyond me. Stupid, stupid people to be conned into this.
erronis
(15,308 posts)Everybody's seen how a 5-cent cuppa has become a $5 superchai. Given the propensity of the empty empathy ##-somethings to spend money on total non-necessities, the corps would really like to help out.
Asanti or Fuji (pardon me if I don't remember the spellings) for $1.xx/pint! Anybody remember when Perrier was caught taking tap water and adding CO2 and calling it special? Or Coors piss coming from Rocky Mountain streams?
With the Middle East set to ramp up its temperatures to 130-140(F), water will be worth more than gold. Arizona, Mexico, San Diego? There will be corps ready to sell it to you.
bvar22
(39,909 posts)...look just like Baby Bottles. I have always found that laughable to see an adult drinking from a Baby Bottle.
Warpy
(111,292 posts)However if you're ever out and have to get a bottle of water because you're parched and far from home, get one with the valve. They fit on the tops of some other bottles, most notably cider vinegar, and can be very useful that way.
w0nderer
(1,937 posts)see here: takes stainless steel canteen to tap, fills canteen, drinks mmmhmmm!
i have however lived places where filtration or boiling was needed
:-p
bought bottled water is such a waste
ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)cheched when buying. I didn't want to deal with the stench of sulfur water, not to mention the horrible taste.
Matthew28
(1,798 posts)along with hard work.
THANK STABLE GOVERNMENT is probably the most important!
AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)CaliforniaPeggy
(149,651 posts)FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)By most people's definition, a privilege is an 'extra' that one should not expect.
These things should be basic rights.
The fact that some cannot avail themselves of these rights is what we need to correct.
valerief
(53,235 posts)I do disagree with you, because these things sadly are privileges and not rights. They s/b but they're not.
FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)"That's a privilege, not a right" is a typical way of telling people that whatever's under discussion can be legitimately taken away from them if they don't follow some protocol or other.
valerief
(53,235 posts)They should be but they're not. We don't have a good enough government to make them rights.
EX500rider
(10,849 posts)cwydro
(51,308 posts)Starbucks as a right???
hedgehog
(36,286 posts)on the way to work is an old tradition in this country. It used to be you could actually sit down and eat in place rather than gulp your food while driving your car!
randys1
(16,286 posts)the OUTRAGE i tell you!
EX500rider
(10,849 posts)These kids really feel sorry for us..
randys1
(16,286 posts)them in this thread.
Otherwise, those of us who help these type of people no matter what else is going on, will continue to.
Zing Zing Zingbah
(6,496 posts)According to most New Englanders
Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)jeff47
(26,549 posts)Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Matthew28
(1,798 posts)Everyone should have them and to argue that it is a privilege is to allow the super rich to take them away.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)have a basic right to them right now.
Pacifist Patriot
(24,653 posts)FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)If these are privileges, then no one has a right to expect them.
Therefore, if you don't have them ... tough shit, they are privileges, not rights.
Put it this way, you can sue for violation or denial of your civil rights.
You cannot sue for violation or denial of ANY privileges.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)kcr
(15,317 posts)1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)Has taken on the meaning of: " benefits afforded based on status" (whatever that status might be, i.e., race, gender, economic standing).
MisterP
(23,730 posts)LiberalElite
(14,691 posts)Matariki
(18,775 posts)Which helps no one. But apparently assuages guilt though some sort of post-modern confessional.
nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)bigwillq
(72,790 posts)2. No, not yet. Going soon to a Diner by my work.
3. No. At work now.
4. Yes. I have a car.
5. I work more hours than I am paid for.
6. No
7. Not really sure how a yes answer to any of these means that I have class privilege.
B2G
(9,766 posts)Eventually everyone will belong to at least one group.
Of course then we'll need a cheat sheet to see who has the higher hand in the game.
Matariki
(18,775 posts)ileus
(15,396 posts)or not...
840high
(17,196 posts)i drove to work and called in sick.
B2G
(9,766 posts)840high
(17,196 posts)B2G
(9,766 posts)Squinch
(50,957 posts)they talk about others' lives, they aren't talking about YOU! What's wrong with them???
ileus
(15,396 posts)ileus
(15,396 posts)msongs
(67,421 posts)Coventina
(27,129 posts)These are rights that we have thanks to UNIONS and the literal blood they shed to get us those rights.
They have nothing to do with class privilege, they are benefits wrested by the workers for the workers from capital.
THAT SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!!
on edit: typo
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Or is it all those low-wage, part-time workers fault that they don't have a union?
Coventina
(27,129 posts)Those came to us (workers) because of workers fighting for rights.
All workers SHOULD have them, but that ANYONE has them has to do with workers fighting for it.
They are not due to "privilege."
kcr
(15,317 posts)I would guess many of those workers that fought would disagree mightily with you.
Coventina
(27,129 posts)It was never an issue for those with capital. They could work, or not, as they chose.
kcr
(15,317 posts)And fighting so everyone has it. If everyone has it, it's no longer a privilege. Acknowledging and reinforcing the ideal that they're privileges, which everyone already knows, isn't the way to convince people they should be rights.
ETA you can see how that affects people. Look at the number of people scoffing at the OP in this thread. It's ingrained that these are privileges that not everyone should have.
Coventina
(27,129 posts)Workers' rights, in my mind, should never be thought of as privileges.
Too many fought, suffered, and even died for them.
And, has been pointed out on this thread, far too many still labor without them.
kcr
(15,317 posts)There was just a lot of "they're privileges get over it just work harder duh" in this thread for various different reasons. I think class does have a lot to do with it. The stronger our Unions, the healthier and more robust our middle class is.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Coventina
(27,129 posts)NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)What am I supposed to do, self flagellate daily to punish myself?
Yes, I know I have it better than most people on the planet but I'm tired of apologizing for not living in a 3rd world hell hole where you can't drink the water.
840high
(17,196 posts)Skittles
(153,169 posts)much of the comparisons are applicable to the poor in America
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Instead of "punishing yourself", the point would be to try and get those "privileges" for more people. For example, by supporting politicians who fight for a living wage, or paid sick days.
People pointing out these advantages are not demanding everyone be torn down to the lowest common denominator. That's the claim the right makes in order to continue the fight between different groups.
In reality, we do not need to rip everyone down to the bottom. We can work to move the bottom up.
nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)Which the self-centered whiners never seem to have any interest in doing.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Or you could sit back and whine about having to read posts about your privilege.
randys1
(16,286 posts)Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)randys1
(16,286 posts)if there was a tinier one I would post it
TipTok
(2,474 posts)Android3.14
(5,402 posts)Define class privilege.
1. You Woke Up Well Rested - Gee, after a 12 hour work day I went to bed at 10 p.m. and woke up at 4:30, well rested, and started work by 6 a.m.. A good night's sleep isn't privilege. It's planning and common sense.
2. You Paid for Convenience - Define convenience. A flush toilet is a convenience. In the woods, a latrine with a roll of toilet paper on a nearby branch is a convenience.
3. You Called in Sick - I called in sick a few weeks ago. I didn't get paid for the sick day. This isn't class privilege; it's the reason we fucking have unions.
4. You Used Your Car or Took Reliable Public Transit - This is just stupid. This isn't class privilege, it's living within walking distance of a bus station or carpooling or just keeping your shit together so you can make it to work.
5. You Got Paid for All Your Hours at Work - Not a class privilege, but a fucking reason to be in a union. As a small business owner, I can guarantee you I rarely receive pay for all the hours I work. In fact, fuck this shit. Today was fucking payday, and I am the lowest paid employee in my company and guess what? I didn't pay myself today, because I had to make sure the paychecks I did sign wouldn't bounce. When an employer pays you for all the hours you worked, it is because that employer has integrity, not because of class privilege.
6. You Bought Fresh, Healthy Food at the Grocery Store - Define fresh. Is unspoiled milk fresh? Is raman that is sold before its sell by date fresh? Fresh vegetables are cheaper than convenience food. Buying quality food isn't privilege, it's about making smart choices. I can buy six cans of Hormel chili, but instead I purchase the ingredients for much less and make a better chili.
This OP is stupid (the article. I don't know enough about the person who posted it to determine what ther deal is). Feel guilty if you want about "class privilege" when all you are doing is what everyone else is doing, trying to make your way with as much dignity as you can muster and the resources available.
Doctor Who
(147 posts)Kilgore
(1,733 posts)Very good points !
Lizzie Poppet
(10,164 posts)Absolutely perfect.
And yes, that article is insipid.
Android3.14
(5,402 posts)I should have used that rather than "stupid". Thanks. I'll write better next time.
Throd
(7,208 posts)Jester Messiah
(4,711 posts)And yet, I vote for Bernie. Because I'm not the type to pull the ladder up behind me.
Boomer
(4,168 posts)I'm thankful to be in a comfortable financial position. I'd like more people to share that security, and that's what drives my support for Bernie Sanders.
Boomer
(4,168 posts)I am fortunate and I feel blessed, not guilty. This isn't about self-flagellation, it's about acknowledging there are widespread inequities that are pretty basic, that affect daily quality of life, and being thankful if you can say yes to most, if not all, the items listed.
The bristling self-defensiveness in this thread is really puzzling. Nobody is calling on the fortunate to throw themselves off a bridge in remorse, or even to give up their benefits. What is so difficult about saying "I'm really blessed to not have to worry about these six things."?
You can be one of the fortunate without being scum. Stop acting as if it's a slur on your honor.
MisterP
(23,730 posts)with campus Hoxhaites to let something go without examining the ways in which it's used as a vehicle for Avakian-style vicarious guilt ...
Skittles
(153,169 posts)other than that I am a chronic insomniac, eat processed foods, haven't called in sick since 2001, etc.
ProfessorGAC
(65,094 posts)Same here, Skittles. I sleep in short bursts that add up to around 3 and a half hours a night. It doesn't drag me down, but i'm guessing it will shorten my life.
Skittles
(153,169 posts)I routinely work 12 hour night shifts on 4 or 5 hours of sleep, but every three or four weeks on a night off I will sleep 9 -11 hours - I think that is how I survive
Squinch
(50,957 posts)When did it become fashionable on DU to make fun of the idea that there are those in this country who have lives that are unnecessarily difficult?
When did DU stop acknowledging that it is a Democratic value to try and address those unnecessary difficulties that others experience?
There are a bunch of petulant freaks in this thread complaining, "I'm so tired of hearing that I have advantages that other people don't?" Well too damn bad.
malokvale77
(4,879 posts)Thank you for spelling out what I have been seeing for some time here.
GummyBearz
(2,931 posts)Does that make me a freeper even though I am voting for Bernie? Responses like yours are divisive... when did that become fashionable on DU?
Please tell me more about my advantages, even though I already know them... I want to hear you say it. It gets me all revved up
ileus
(15,396 posts)It's how we roll...
Agree or die.
Squinch
(50,957 posts)your entitlements. That seems to be how some here roll.
The DU club of petulant infants.
kcr
(15,317 posts)jeff47
(26,549 posts)We don't have to bring everyone down to the bottom. We can work to bring "the bottom" up.
That requires understanding what advantages you have, so we can work to get those advantages to more people.
Squinch
(50,957 posts)Response to Squinch (Reply #100)
ileus This message was self-deleted by its author.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)The people on the right claim that the only solution to these kinds of inequality is to rip everyone down to the bottom. Because that way they can keep lots of groups fighting each other.
The reality is we can also work to bring the bottom up. Mandatory paid sick days do not take away your paid sick days.
As for when it infected our party, that would be the late 1980s and early 1990s when the DLC infested the party.
Squinch
(50,957 posts)thread who can't seem to understand that.
randys1
(16,286 posts)handful, being the key word.
This is my way of agreeing with your post.
Squinch
(50,957 posts)I'm glad you're here.
Pacifist Patriot
(24,653 posts)Thinking the same thing!
Squinch
(50,957 posts)Democratic Party has become.
I hope they are trolls. But I don't think so.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)That's the day everything changed on DU.
AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)Maybe 4/6, does having a mild hangover count as well rested?
Did not call in sick. Actually worked today.
Working sucks. See the end, tho.
Igel
(35,323 posts)Meaning that a smaller group is just average. In fact, not just a smaller group, but an overlapping set of smaller groups.
Odd semantic shift--the disadvantaged are now viewed as the norm, and the majority viewed as above average.
A semantic shift that I reject as an unwieldy, unnecessary imposition, as an attempt to redefine things in such a way as to manipulate others. Don't like manipulation.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)We can also work to get those advantages to more people.
I never lived in a very poor urban setting, so "food deserts" was not something I knew about growing up. Someone had to point them out to me in order for me to learn about the problem, so that I can work to do something to eliminate them.
Learning about food deserts did not require me to create more of them, or move to one.
Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)just because they drive to work. And trying to make such people feel guilty is unlikely to help much imo
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Again, they are not required to give up their advantage.
Go Vols
(5,902 posts)and my son enjoys the same at his current position.
Union Privilege FTW,some College Grads made more,but it was like 2%.
If you are capable of building tall buildings efficiently,you can make a ton of money in months,years ...
bigwillq
(72,790 posts)Travis_0004
(5,417 posts)If I have access to clean water, that is privilege compared to the 1 billion people without that luxury.
If I own a computer or cell phone and use it to get online and complain about lack of privilege, I have privilege over somebody without electricity.
Matariki
(18,775 posts)feeling bad for getting to eat vegetables at dinner or get a full night's sleep? Because in spite of protestations to the contrary, 'privilege' has certainly become a code word for stuff people are supposed to feel vaguely bad about. Tossing the word about does absolutely nothing to address the injustices that abound in our society - none of which are fixed by going without vegetables, coffee, or sleep.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Having never lived in an extremely poor urban environment, I didn't know vegetables were an advantage I had. (Not due to this article, I learned it long ago, but there was a time I didn't know it)
That doesn't make me bad for having them. It means I need to work to get that advantage to more people.
Squinch
(50,957 posts)our society to be decent to all its citizens.
But for those who think everything is about them, and who can't see beyond themselves, you are right. Entitlement must seem like a word that is used to make them feel guilty.
Because they think everything is about themselves, it is not surprising that a reminder that there are people who don't have access to sleep or vegetables would be seen as a criticism of themselves.
It is not surprising that they would never give a thought to those people who don't have access to sleep and vegetables.
romanic
(2,841 posts)It's the dirty little secret the identity politicos don't want you to know.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)alarimer
(16,245 posts)Lots of people have sleep issues that have nothing to do with their economic situation. In my case, it's probably my own damn fault (too much screen time before bed, maybe), which is a privilege, I guess. But for a lot of people, because they work too much or have a long commute or whatever, "well-rested" doesn't really happen. So the first one I would say is not entirely correct. We are all chronically sleep-deprived, for whatever reason.
I would also add #7:
Being able to afford surprise medical bills. Even with insurance, the copays and such can be outrageous. I'm facing that myself, but it is still within the realm of affordability. A year ago, it might not have been.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Throd
(7,208 posts)Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)yawnmaster
(2,812 posts)Squinch
(50,957 posts)and it is trying to make me feel guilty for having the basics in life."
Or do you read this and think, "There are people out there who don't have these basics that I may not have thought about. When I deal with my employees, I will be more conscious of this." Or, "I had not even thought of these ramifications of poverty. I will take income inequality reduction into account when I vote, because the current levels of income inequality are even more damaging than I though."
Up to you.
yawnmaster
(2,812 posts)shaming might occasionally be effective, but I believe there are better ways, ways that don't need to segregate.
For instance, your reply is thought provoking without creating class silos.
Squinch
(50,957 posts)the relative condition of those who have advantages and those who do not.
If you see it as a criticism of you or as shaming toward you or segregating you from others, you are missing the point.
yawnmaster
(2,812 posts)Squinch
(50,957 posts)The point is missed because those missing it can't stop seeing themselves as the most important term in every equation.
yawnmaster
(2,812 posts)Squinch
(50,957 posts)Matariki
(18,775 posts)There are better ways to talk about (and do something about) poverty than to post dumb lists that imply 'privilege' (and deny all you want but that word is currently used disparagingly) because you eat fresh vegetables.
There's a common wisdom about communicating effectively where using 'you statements' immediately puts the listener on the defensive and thus generally shuts down communication.
It seems the word 'privilege' is more often than not used for what *should* be basic rights or a decent standard of living for everyone. The problem isn't that some people are granted those rights but that others are denied them. I agree that there needs to be awareness of that fact, but calling Rights a privilege has a whole lot of problems starting with the implication that they are something that can be taken away if a person isn't behaved.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,354 posts)... at a local polo match.
It's not easy, repairing holes in the lawn while not spilling the champagne.
No class privilege here.
gwheezie
(3,580 posts)I know it. I'm not defensive about it, I am thankful. I realize my privilege has much to do with where I was born and my skin color and nothing to do with my value as a human being.
merrily
(45,251 posts)Some people don't have enough money to pay for a lot of stuff, maybe not even rent or food. Film at 11.
Before anyone starts lecturing me, whoever you are, I bet I grew up with a lot less than you did.
DFW
(54,415 posts)"Money is the root of all wealth....."
merrily
(45,251 posts)DFW
(54,415 posts)It's just an internet board!
merrily
(45,251 posts)After that, the best things in life really are free and money can be detrimental.
Through work and activism, I've met a lot of the trust fund crowd. I did grow up poor. I am not poor now. However, I don't have a fraction of what they have. As best I can tell, I am much happier than, on the whole, they are. If you think people whine and are neurotic on DU, you ain't heard nuthin' yet.
raccoon
(31,112 posts)Which as we all know ain't free.
merrily
(45,251 posts)DFW
(54,415 posts)For a few years I went to school with some of those kids. Some of the more messed up heads I've ever run into. The only ones who weren't were the few who realized that your worth as a person has no relation to your net worth as stated on your net worth (or, more often, their parents') balance sheet. Just as whining and neurotic as the ones on DU. But I always had the option of going my own way, as, indeed I do on or off DU.
No one can impress me with how opulently or modestly they live. What impresses me is someone who has managed to get to the point where they feel good about whatever it is they have made of themselves.
merrily
(45,251 posts)kcr
(15,317 posts)Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)GOLGO 13
(1,681 posts)My guilt is getting the best of me so I'll pour myself a nice whiskey highball & a cigar to remind me not to be so high & mighty about my good looks & my proud ways.
NYC Liberal
(20,136 posts)post on a message board. (Which also means you have access to reliable electricity, and a computer.)
Squinch
(50,957 posts)are insisting that this is all about making them feel guilty, the ones who are completely missing the point that this is about people who live in really difficult situations - many of the pouting ones are the very same people who feel they are being persecuted when anyone mentions gun control?
Things that make you go, "hmmmm."
Throd
(7,208 posts)They don't need a constant barrage of reminders which assume them to be self-entitled ignoramuses.
Chemisse
(30,813 posts)We all have 'privileges'. There is always someone who is worse off in some way. Good people recognize that, appreciate what they have, and try to do something to help others less fortunate.
An article like this seems like it is saying we are all assholes who don't realize we have things that others don't. It's mildly insulting, patronizing, and clearly meant to induce guilt.
I refuse to feel guilty for what I have in life (which really isn't a whole heck of a lot, but it's more than some have). What I would feel guilty about is if I did nothing to help others who were less fortunate. I think that's what really counts.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)The suggestion that this entire article wasn't about anything other than making people feel guilty is ridiculous. Even if you didn't make it past the title of the thread you can derive this is all about the collective guilt. There's not one single suggestion about what to do "about people who live in really difficult situations" other than to feel guilty about it if you don't.
Using namecalling to make your point is childish and petulant, BTW.
GOLGO 13
(1,681 posts)I have a pet chicken named "Houdini" because she somehow keeps escaping the dinner table.
Should I check my petulant privilege to justify keeping "Houdini" as a pet or be done with her and try to serve her for dinner on Thursday night, again?
Squinch
(50,957 posts)GOLGO 13
(1,681 posts)Ribs it is!
bvar22
(39,909 posts)I sleep well, probably because of all the exercise and quiet country living.
*I drove no car, rode in no car, used no gasoline, or any public transportation.
My transportation today was strictly leg work.
*Starbucks?....LOL, at least a 100 mile drive, but paid for no other "conveniences" today,
unless you consider a shovel a convenience, but it was paid off over 10 years ago.
*Did not buy fresh, healthy food at a grocery.
We grow our own. We have canned veggies and fruit preserves for Winter.
We do supplement some in the Winter, but not today or tomorrow.
*My "pay" for today was absolutely $ZERO, but the sweat I invested in cleaning and preparing our Veggie Garden will pay off in a degree of satisfaction impossible to buy. If the weather holds, I will plant Garlic tomorrow, trim down the asparagus stalks, and clean and compost some other beds.
*Called in sick???? LOL. If I'm too sick to work, stuff just goes to hell all by itself, or doesn't get done.
*Our Water source is a spring that bubbles up in the back yard...cold, clear, pure mountain spring water.
We are cash poor, but consider ourselves to be among the luckiest (and richest) people in the World.
We haven't regretted leaving the city and choosing this lifestyle for a single day.
Kilgore
(1,733 posts)Just the satisfaction that working my ass off for 30 years, saving until it hurts, and living frugally has finally allowed me and the wife to enjoy life a bit.
nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)JustAnotherGen
(31,833 posts)Thanks for posting.
Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)She got evicted after losing her job of 20 years. She didn't call in sick because she hasn't had a job for going on five years now. She doesn't sleep well because she has depression, which makes a job search nearly impossible. She eats several of her meals from fast food joints because she has no cooking facilities. Sometimes she gets a hot meal from a local charity, but most days her sleep schedule is too erratic to allow for that. She gets a monthly stipend of 200 dollars a month because her doctor thinks she has major depression and can't work. She gets food stamps as well she buys only food that doesn't need to be cooked, this includes things like apples and oranges. But, it also includes a couple of 14 ounce bags of chips each month.