It’s Easy for Them

Welcome to “I don’t feel like it” Tuesday. You’d think that a two hour delay would have produced something deep and/or eloquent, but it has not.

Meanwhile, I stumbled upon an interesting conversation on Twitter last night that I thought was worth sharing. It started with this statement:

Something I wish more people would realise is how alienating it is to be poor/broke when you have financially stable/comfortable friends.

Then, the following separate conversation took place:

Why you tweet my life like that?

     Living in Howard county is all the experience you need for this one.

Like sh** though! Friends going to Columbia mall every weekend to shop and go out to eat and the movies and I only had money for the movie. Meanwhile they had their parents credit card.

     Smh but you not suppose to worry about that, bullsh**. why wouldn't I worry about me being the only one not having fun. we all running the same race but we don't start in the same places.

And it’s easy for them to say cause if they don’t have it they can call mommy and daddy. Which is fine but we all don’t have it like that. Gotta be humble smh.

     Yea and you can't blame nobody cause that's not fair either Smhh sh** hard out here.

Yup just gotta take it for what it is and try to make your own way.

And there you have it, folks. An update from the haves vs havenots in our community.

Living in Howard county is all the experience you need for this one.

We all learn lessons as we grow up about who has money and who doesn’t. That’s nothing new. But there’s a stark divide in Howard County that is shaping our young people’s concept of themselves and the world, and that shapes many of our community discussions as well. When we talk about who “deserves” to live here, for instance, and when family income continues to be linked to where you buy your house and whether that buys your children access to the “good” schools.

Our children see this. They are not oblivious. The innocence of childhood does not blind one to the difference between the kids who have expensive winter gear and those who are shivering in thin, out of season items. They know.

How do we talk about this with our children? I really think we must. Ignoring it is saying it is taboo, and then another generation grows up feeling it is an immovable divide. There are so many ways we are separated from each other today. We’re due for some consciousness-raising on this issue in Howard County.

Talk to your kids. Ask them what they think.