Perspective

I spent the weekend in Minneapolis, judging the state dance team tournament which was exciting and exhausting. Massy came along with me and spent the time with Rick's parents while I was judging.

Most of my in-laws' conversations with me over the weekend consisted of concerns over the economy and how bad things are (in their posh white suburb) and how people are "really hurting". My in-laws are the people who will drive an extra 10 miles out of their way to buy gas that is 3 cents cheaper than the gas on the corner. They are also the people who recently forwarded an email to me stating how horrible it is that congress wants to tax our retirement income to level the playing field and support "unemployed minorities". YIKES.

They asked me if we are noticing the effects of the poor economy in our town - are businesses closing and people hurting? My answer is that I really don't know. 60% of the people living in and around my town are living in poverty. They have been "hurting" for years - it didn't begin when the country decided we are now in a recession. Those of us who are living above the poverty level, but still making far less than 6 figures, aren't feeling it either. We didn't have anything to spare before and we don't now. For my family this is by choice - we enjoy what we do and don't want to change our lives just to make more money. In fact, we tend to notice the benefits of a poor economy - lower interest rates for refinancing, tax credits for necessary home improvements, etc. What really irritates me about the obsession the upper middle class has with the state of the economy is their ignorance - and ignorance disguised in a BMW is the worst. We've been spoiled and living high on the hog for our entire lives. Sure, many of us have experienced times during our lives where we wondered how we would pay the bills and put gas in the car. But, this is not desperation. Making a choice between placing your child for adoption or starving is desperation. You think losing your retirement in the stock market is bad? How about never being able to save a dime for retirement because you need every penny to keep from being homeless and then the upper middle class claims that you are lazy?

When my mother-in-law told me how badly she felt for families in her suburb I told her that I just didn't understand that perspective. I received a letter from Masresha's father in Ethiopia when the downturn in the US economy first made the international news. He wondered how we were doing and would we be okay in this situation. Would we be able to feed and cloth our children? I feel incredibly embarrassed that this amazing man who has made the ultimate sacrifice is concerned about me. As I sit in my 4000 square foot home with my supersize mortgage, my minivan and all my excess junk, feeding my pets more than he eats - I am ashamed. Utterly ashamed.

Perspective.