A few years ago while I was in the transition of losing my spousal support and being forced to go onto ODSP, I was suddenly smacked in the face with what REAL struggle is all about. After a few months of this new-found struggle I made a comment on Facebook that mad eme lose my childhood friend. I am going to give you an example of WHY I said what I said,...

"The middle class have it so much easier than we do down here,..."

I was not thinking of any ONE individual. I was stating that I am really feeling the effects of REAL poverty now and it's so much harder than when I was middle class. I was not talking about anyone. I was talking about the situation.

And heres what I mean as just one example: My front teeth. One of my front teeth overlaps another just slightly. Many years ago I got a cavity in between those two teeth and when I was still working and had money I got it fixed. They drilled out the cavity and put in a filling. They even made the filling white so it wouldn't be noticable. Roll on years later,... This filling has fallen out leaving a black mark. It's noticable everytime I smile. A black mark. It looks like I have food stuck in between my teeth, No amount of brushing makes this black spot less noticable. Now if I was middle class I would go and get it fixed. but I am not middle class,... I am poor. I have no dental coverage of any kind. I had bare minimul coverage on ODSP but I LOST my ODSP which means I have lost dental care too. So now if I want to see a dentist I have to pay out of my own pocket. And with my budget I couldn't even afford the taxi over there. So yet again,... I jsut leave it alone. I walk around looking like I have food stuck inbetween my teeth, I had the same thing happen with dental work a few years ago. I was told the care I needed,.... they found out I don't have the fancy coverage most people have and therefore they DOWNGRADED my care to what I could afford. 

"The middle class have it so much easier than we do down here,..."

Honestly,.... THAT IS ALL I EVER MEANT

But a friend of mine messaged me and said I couldn't post that statement as the people in middle class who work so hard might get offended. Her and her husband work damn hard for their money,... blah,... blah,... blah,,... she totally missed the point of what I was saying. I think if she had messaged me with "What is that suppose to mean? and I could have told her what I meant, things would have turned out better. But she just thought of herself first. She thought I was putting her down and saying she didn't work hard. HOW she saw that I don't know. It was an innocent comment about poverty. I was offended becasue instead of her saying,... what do you mean? Are you struggling? Are you hurting for money now? What is going on with you that you would post that?" but no,... she right away went to "That will offend people" She didn't see my poverty or strugglin in that post. Only that I would offend the middle class. 

So I have lost dear friends over my poverty. For people to be offended over that comment rather than see I must be struggling now I am on ODSP,.... they thought of themselves first. They didn't want to look bad so I must delete that post,....

And whenever you advocate for poverty you run into this all the time. People refuse to believe that anyone could be that poor and therefore I must be exageratting. If they have never lived or or can't imagine it - it must not be true. WE EXAGGERATE. So instead of empathizing - they were offended I would dare voice the truth. 

I was friends with this woman since we were TWO years old. And now we never speak,...

Anyway,... while brushing my teeth this morning and looking at that hideous black spot on my front teeth - I just couldnt'help but think what a good example this is of what I meant by "The middle class have it so much easier than we do down here,...' The middle class only have to hop in their car (that they own) and rive down to the dentist where they have their fancy coverage and they get it fixed. In other words,... they have it easier,.... and THAT is all I was trying to say.

But instead I lost 3 childhood friends. Who couldnt believe I actually just meant they have it easier,....