10/25/13

Those People




There's a food drive happening at the school where I work. Several bins have been set up throughout the hallways, with cute kid-decorated signs that implore us to SCARE HUNGER and donate non-perishables for the local food shelf.

As I am wont to do, I look at the food as I walk by. Why? Because I like food. It's like porn to me. I wish I was lying. So I walk by, several times a day, and gaze at the donations. 

Dang. We have some swanky grocery shoppers at our school...the bins are filled with "fancy" foodstuff, lots of organic offerings, and some deviations from the standard mac and cheese/boxes of spaghetti. There's rice pasta, artichoke hearts packed in seasoned oil, gluten-free crackers, olive tapenade....and quinoa. I look at those bins like Sylvester looked at Tweety Bird.

Like I was doing earlier this week. Walking by, checking out the bins. One of the women who helped organize the drive was in the hallway, and I called out to her "Wow! Look at all this awesomeness!" or something similarly enlightening. She beamed and said, "I know! The parents at this school are amazing." 

As she was saying this, another woman happened by. She smiled at us, like people who see each other several times a day in passing do, and then she said this:

"Too bad they won't know what to do with most of it." 

It was one of those moments in life, when your ears hear something but your brain can't quite process it.  I was fairly certain I'd just heard her say what I thought I'd heard her say...but it didn't really sink in. It floated there, like a film of rainbow-hued oil over a puddle in the street. 

I spoke up, while she was still within earshot. "What do you mean?". I wanted to know. I wanted to verify what she said, make sure I hadn't misunderstood.

The woman stopped. She turned towards me, one hand holding a couple of manila folders, the other resting lightly on her hip. She was still smiling.

"Those people won't know what most of that is. I mean, really, quinoa?"

Yep. I'd heard her correctly. 

Those people.

The last time I got groceries at our local food shelf was this past February. Eight months ago.  The long-overdue child support from my ex-husband kicked in later that month, and even though it wasn't much, it made the difference between buying groceries and getting them from a food shelf. For that, I'm grateful.

Those people.

I can still remember the first time I visited the food shelf. I had driven by, so many times, trying to work up the courage to pull into the parking lot. I'd whisper to myself, "Dammit. I can't" and I'd keep driving, home to the barren fridge and the Old-Mother-Hubbard cupboards. Until the desperation overshadowed my pride.

Those people.

Once you get past the hardest part, which is walking through the door, being at the food shelf isn't so bad. I mean, it's not something that inspires one to burst into song and run around high-fiving people, but as far as life experiences go, not so bad. Sure, there's the heat on your cheeks as you fill out the paperwork, giving these strangers your life history. Telling them how you got into this pickle. This predicament. Telling them what you do for money, how much you get and how you spend it. But you get used to having hot cheeks. You become accustomed to averting your gaze so as not to make too much eye contact. You eventually become, dare I say, comfortable at the food shelf.

Those people.

I quickly found out that food shelves are a lot like TJ Maxx...it's hit or miss. Some days the shelves are full, and full of really good things. Annie's Mac and Cheese. Organic marinara sauce. Fresh vegetables. Whole chickens in the freezer. Brie from Trader Joe's that's only 2 days past the expiration date. Other days, you have to scramble to even get near the required weight of food in your cart (yeah...you get a certain number of pounds of food, depending on the size of your family). Dented cans of creamed corn. Spoiled produce that even the most resourceful, broke chef couldn't salvage. Individual sleeves of saltine crackers. But beggars can't be choosers, right?

Those people.

I visited the food shelf a total of 5 times in about 11 months. I only told one friend. I told my kids, and when I did, I expected them to laugh, or get angry, or embarrassed. They didn't do any of those things. They helped me put the groceries away, and they did so quietly, not saying much other than the occasional exclamation of "Yum!" or "Gross!". I can recall for you, on command, most of the meals I made with food shelf goodies. Oven roasted chicken with quartered rosemary potatoes. Turkey chili. French toast. More mac and cheese than I care to admit. One of my favorites was an organic risotto, flavored with mushrooms and olive oil. 

Those people.

I wanted to walk up to that woman in the hallway, and smack the folders out of her hand. I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her as I got up in her face and yell at her "YOU CLUELESS, PRETENTIOUS BITCH! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO WALK INTO ONE OF "THOSE" PLACES AND BE ONE OF "THOSE" PEOPLE! YOU'VE NEVER HAD TO SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE AND ADMIT THAT YOU NEED A HAND! YOU'VE NEVER LOOKED AT YOUR KIDS AND HAD TO HIDE YOUR TEARS BECAUSE YOU HAD NO IDEA HOW YOU WERE GOING TO FEED THEM! YOU KNOW WHAT??? "THOSE PEOPLE" WILL BE MOTHER EFFING GRATEFUL TO SEE THIS FOOD. THEY'LL BE SAYING SILENT PRAYERS AS THEY BOX THAT SHIT UP AND BRING IT HOME AND MAKE IT FOR THEIR FAMILIES. AND THEY WILL NEVER FORGET HOW IT FELT TO BE SO THANKFUL FOR SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS FOOD!!"

I wanted to say that, but I didn't. Instead, all I could muster was, 

"I like quinoa." 

To which she replied, "Well yes, of course. You're not one of those people."

If only she knew.




45 comments:

  1. Wow. I would have wanted to say the exact same things you wanted to say. I wrote a post this week about judgy people. It's really been bothering me lately, so I totally love that you shared this.

    Have you heard about Scary Mommy's Thanksgiving Project? It's awesome! http://www.scarymommy.com/thanksgiving-2013/

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  2. You have more self-control than I! I would have probably chewed off my tongue trying to hold in what you wanted to say to her! Thank goodness everyone doesn't think like she does.

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  3. To use my Dad's go-to expression of anger and disgust, "Oh SHIT!" When I read this, Jenny, I said it out loud EXACTLY the way he used to. (I do that a lot.) Then I had to wait to write this comment till I stopped seeing red. All I can say now is Girlfriend, you have a lot more restraint than I do that you didn't tear this rich bitch a new one. "Those people"???!! WTF??? I think Ms Rich Bitch needs to spend a LOT of time volunteering at a food shelf, noticing who all comes in to get help. "Those people" are you and me, dearie!! The very reason I regularly donate to our local food shelf is EXACTLY because ANY ONE of us could need their services at any time. When I shop for a donation to them, I buy the same kind of stuff I and my family friends enjoy eating, because I figure the folks who take my donations home for dinner have similar tastes to us, and might know just as much about cooking -- because they ARE just like us. Hell, when my spouse got a notice almost 2 years ago that his job was going bye-bye, I had visions of us possibly needing the food shelf -- we didn't after all, but it only strengthened my resolve to keep on donating as long as I can. "Those people"??!!! Bitch please -- give me a f***ing BREAK. Sorry to rant, but like you, this kind of clueless, insensitive comment makes me furious. I'm sorry you have to work with someone like that. Like I said, I hope she learns her lesson.

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  4. my mom was a preschool teacher for a huge corportion, that had its own childcare. I was still an adolescent. ,She would get offers from parents to be their nanny, and move to europe with them. Here is the thing, she was in her 40's , married, and had a young daughter who she was raising, and they knew all these things!! They are truely insane people, with no boundaries!!

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  5. Wow...just...wow. I...don't have words.

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  6. Beautiful post. Beautiful. And, yeah, some people don't realize that it is actually a relief to get something that ISN'T mac and cheese at the food pantry. True, peanut butter and beans and oatmeal go a long way toward feeding hungry children; but it's still nice to get something a little different, because (surprise, surprise) THOSE people's kids are just like yours and mine. They like a little variety.

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  7. When I was a single mom, I signed up for WIC adn made lots and lots of trips to the store for the "acceptable" groceries. Tons of formula, milk, cheese, cereal. Now, it takes everything in my power to not fight back when ignorant people (usually on Facebook) start in about "those people" sucking the taxpayers dry.

    There's no shame in any of it, except for what "those people" try to force on us.

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  8. It's really hard to even gently admonish judgmental people without becoming judgmental ourselves. We really are ALL "those people," depending on individual perspectives. Getting to a place where we see each other clearly and tenderly would be a good goal. Just because someone's in a different pie doesn't mean there are no pits in it. I will say that we did have a presidential candidate in 2012 who ran on the strength and promise of job creation, and half the country said "No way." I worry that we are creating dependency, and unsustainable systems, and hurting those we really intend to help.

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    1. Really?? Because I remember him running on the strength & promise of "those people" - remember the 47% comment?

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    2. My comment addressed ideas that need to be discussed, dialog that needs to be had, competency that is needed in leadership. I will never hang out behind one phrase and consider it the be-all end all of a man. I will look at the man's (or woman's) successes, failures, competences, family, values, and the people he/she associates with and chooses to employ and work with.

      I could quote many phrases uttered by our current president and those in his administration that would raise ire in or out of context. But it is more important to look at what he/they are actually doing. In just one area: Millions are finding their health insurance cancelled. Millions are finding their premiums raised, up to 300 percent. Manufacturers of medical devices (my husband's employer) must pay increased taxes on each device. Spouses and families are being removed from employees' insurance policies. The president and his administrators could not foresee this?

      These same people allowed a website that was supposed to cost $69 million swell to $97 million in cost, and it's still not working right. Who was watching? Who was assuring quality? Where was the competence? We need to wake up and give competence a chance. If we can find it.

      The majority (85%) of Americans were happy with their health care coverage. This administration unleashed a program of this magnitude, cost and destructiveness, in the middle of an economic crisis, for 15% of the population? You and I both know there are better solutions to problems in the health care system than ... this.

      And this is just one area of our current president's incompetence. The answer is not more food giveaways, but more jobs. More competence. Wouldn't it be great if food banks weren't needed? We have to turn the freight train around, and stop building hospitals at the bottom of the cliff instead of putting a fence at the top.

      As we know from our own experiences and see over and over here on Jenny's blog, we need better husbands and fathers. We need real leaders. We need competence. You can't legislate competence, integrity, commitment and hard work, but the government can bleed them to death in one or two generations, and destroy our nation, by pretending they don't matter. If a competent leader arose, would we recognize that person and elect them?

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    3. "If a competent leader arose, would we recognize that person and elect them?"
      No, most Americans are too well indoctrinated to recognize or elect anything but ruling party morons.

      Delete
  9. Fantastic post, Jenny. We need to share this one all over the damn place.

    (As a writer I am envious at how you so beautifully share your stories. I still hold my details inside a box. Maybe I'm saving them for the book. ;) )

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  10. Very well written and thank you for sharing this! I have worked with homeless families and individuals for almost a decade and cringe whenever I hear someone say "those people". It's usually followed by something judgmental, ignorant, condescending or derogatory.

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  11. Thank you for be so open and sharing your heart. I am sorry you have suffered.
    I've never used a food shelf, but asking for help is so hard especially when you have to tell why you have become such a lowly worm over and over and over and over.
    I cried almost every time. Confessing that you have been injured beyond repair and that your wife is dying is not an easy thing to do again and again. It's cruel enough that you are in the situation you are in.

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  12. Very well-written, and I'm in agreement with you.

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  13. Great post as always. I probably would've said many of "us" that use food banks are great cooks and WOULD know what to do with this awesome food. Then I would've snickered as she picked her lip up off the floor...LOL. Prejudice comes in so many forms. Imagine being looked at as one of "those people" every day of your life because of your skin color and not being able to change that...

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  14. Wow. This is so powerfully and poignantly written. There's really nothing I can add other than you nailed it in so many ways. Great post. Really great post.

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  15. This is what I'm going through after 18 yrs with my 1st boyfriend whom I married had 2 kids and now divorced.My kids are small still and it's exhausting but I can never live without them. And I cried over this post because it's the truth. I hope you never stop posting, I enjoy all of them, a lot of the stories so similar to mine. Thanks for letting us into your life :)
    xo from canada

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  16. Having volunteered at a food bank for many years, it offends me - though, sadly, it does not surprise me - that anyone would look down on someone for accessing that resource when needed. As I've said in other posts this week, it is those who have experienced some hardship who seem to be the most grateful. Anyone who would look down their nose at a person who uses a food bank (aka food shelf) clearly is due for some life experience. Love this article and I admire you for sharing this perspective. Thank-you!

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  17. Thank you for this.

    My wife and I divorced last year, and I have custody of my two kids. It was a difficult time for all of us, obviously, but it was made much more difficult when I lost my job just a few months after we were on our own.

    Suddenly, I was one of those people. We'd been on assistance in other counties before, after my son was born and my then-wife lost her job, but we'd recovered and hadn't been in serious trouble. This, however, was different. Suddenly I had two kids on my own and no way to support them. I wouldn't have made it through without county and state assistance.

    It definitely wasn't a proud moment, going to the county building and filling out all that paperwork, but once it was done, I realized that all my misgivings were based on my pride alone. It suddenly wasn't so bad.

    I'm working now, but I still get food support to make ends meet. I have absolutely no problem with being one of those people, because it means I'm doing everything I can to make sure my kids have everything they need.

    And I love quinoa.

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  18. Thank you for this.

    My wife and I divorced last year, and I have custody of my two kids. It was a difficult time for all of us, obviously, but it was made much more difficult when I lost my job just a few months after we were on our own.

    Suddenly, I was one of those people. We'd been on assistance in other counties before, after my son was born and my then-wife lost her job, but we'd recovered and hadn't been in serious trouble. This, however, was different. Suddenly I had two kids on my own and no way to support them. I wouldn't have made it through without county and state assistance.

    It definitely wasn't a proud moment, going to the county building and filling out all that paperwork, but once it was done, I realized that all my misgivings were based on my pride alone. It suddenly wasn't so bad.

    I'm working now, but I still get food support to make ends meet. I have absolutely no problem with being one of those people, because it means I'm doing everything I can to make sure my kids have everything they need.

    And I love quinoa.

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  19. Jennifer, This is such a powerful post. As a single mother to three children under the age of 10, and with an ex spouse whose financial support is minimal, the only thing that has kept me from the food shelf is luck and timing. I could easily be one of "those people" despite my knowledge of how to cook quinoa and familiarity with rice pasta. Thank you for opening the eyes of many with this post.

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  20. You know what? I just checked the list of requested items at our local food pantry, and quinoa is on the list!

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  21. When I was a young college student many years ago I volunteered at the local food bank. Often a struggling family would come in and trying to make a box that would give their kids full meals WAS a struggle because many of the donated items were odd items such as artichoke hearts or canned anchovies.... things that people bought for whatever reason but didn't use themselves because its not "standard" fare... so they were quite happy to donate them. Unless there is more to the story... could it be that the lady was just remarking on that? If I had looked into those bins I would have thought EXACTLY the same thing.. "what are they supposed to do with this stuff? They need "regular" food... pastas, veggies, etc!" Couldn't "those people" possibly mean nothing more than a way of referring to those who will be receiving the items? Or was there more to this? Why the assumption that she was a snob and meant something ugly?

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    1. There is a difference between saying that these are items that aren't useful versus "those people" will not know how to use them. And at the very end, where the author states that she likes quinoa and the woman replies that she is not one of "those people", I think we get the message loud and clear. And it is rather snobby to think that quinoa is not "regular" food. Just because someone needs assistance doesn't mean that they can't be a foodie who appreciates artichoke hearts. Sure, boxed mac 'n cheese may appeal to more people, but these "odd" ingredients may be just as appealing to some people. Especially those who never thought that they'd end up as one of "those people".

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  22. This is a fantastic post. I like to write about similar stuff on my blog. I think it's important to discuss/bring attention to these sorts of comments so perhaps people start thinking about what they say before it flies out of their mouths.

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  23. Though I have never used a food shelf to date, I can state that if I did, I would pass on the quinoa and go straight fod the Minute Rice and pasta. Yes, I am one of "those people" - the cooking challenged, that is.

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  24. A large portion of people who visit food banks are poor (in my area). A lot don't have exposure to "designer foods" because they can't afford it, can't afford the internet access to explore it and work too many hours to practice cooking it. It's also an expense if it turn out bad because you have nothing else to eat. I know my family would not know what to do with quinoa or know how to pronounce it. I can only name one family member that ever bought artichoke hearts. Most don't have internet to find a recipe and or the disposable income to buy a cook book that would have it. When I read the list of foods, I would have considered a lot of it the types of things left in the back of a pantry that you use donation as an excuse to get rid of. The comment she said did stereotype but some of it rings true.

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  25. I posted this on my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Preppy-Pink-Crocodile/360654440713610 today. A really beautiful post!

    KK @ www.preppypinkcrocodile.com

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  26. I think people need to think in those terms (those people/people like me) because it helps assuage that feeling everyone gets that somehow, it could be you who needs that help. Read any story online about someone who faces hardship because of a lost job, or gets some disease. The comments will always be something along the lines of "Well, yeah, sure, that happened because of X, if you didn't do X, you wouldn't be in that situation" And thus we can lie to ourselves that we'll never be desperate, scared or vulnerable.

    Well written. Thanks for sharing this perspective.

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  27. Would it be alright if I posted this, with copyright and full credit, on my blog, My Life After Loss? It is absolutely raw and I would love to share it with my readers.

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    1. Hi Michelle, sorry for the late reply! Yes, you may repost it. Hope it's not too late!

      Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  28. There's a youtube guy with a church in North central Tennessee by the name of Pastor Dowell.
    Dowell has some videos up about his church. Apparently they have fairly extensive property with gardens and some sort of communal living arrangement (I think).
    Pastor Dowell is advising everyone who can to start gardening as the poor economic situation could get dire for everyone shortly.
    I'm 71 and have never seen as many closed store fronts in my home town.
    There's also a Dimitri Orlov in Canada.
    He left the Soviet Union in the late 70's but went back visiting family every few years.
    Orlov wrote a book, and was interviewed on Russia Today a year or more back.
    He feels the U.S. could go through a collapse like Russia did.
    For getting through a collapse (the average life expectancy for Russian males dropped to 57 at one point) is communal living and sharing. He for instance shared a car with friends. It takes some planning and discipline but was a big help.
    Better yet if available live near public transport like a bus system.
    Also living in large apartment blocks helped a lot with heating.
    Grandparents living with families provided no cost baby sitting as opposed to professional day care.
    I think he also mentioned gardening. At any rate I know the Russians did a lot of it.
    I remember seeing to Russian women in one news clip who ended up fighting with shovels over a discarded cabbage. They were gleaning in a field that had been harvested. The Russians are tough.
    Anyway if you are in biking distance of unused land a garden could be a bit of a cure for some tension plus provide an occasional potato.
    Here in Florida during the depression mom ate so many mangos off the trees for free that she developed an allergy to them.
    And anybody who is not totally strapped, try to stock up a months canned goods.

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  29. Hi! I was pointed in your direction/blog so I could see things DO get better. I love your writing and your family as I seem to have read about 2 years worth of writing in a matter of days. I swear I'm not a stalker!

    I'm one of THOSE people. I'm a divorcing mother of a 6.5 year old named Gabe. My husband got kicked out of the military and sort of lost his mind. Refused to get a job and became abusive. I took my little and loaded the car with what would fit and fled. Little never experienced the physically abusive stuff and it only happened to me once but that was enough. The emotional abuse is still hard but luckily I took the brunt of that too. We came to heal in CT where my mom is and at 30 I moved back in with my mom. I'm on food stamps and medicaid and going back to college while the little is in school.

    We are settled here and happy. I have an amazing hetero-life mate (I met him on craigslist...no I'm not kidding) who loves and supports us and is a better father than anyone could ask for. I'm not sure if it was the snarky attitude or plentiful boobage (front AND back) that one him over but I'm luckier than most. I still struggle and have to watch Gabe struggle as well and trying to explain why we can't buy this or that or why we don't live with daddy and why he doesn't call is still heart breaking. The comments from people about "welfare babies" or how they have to pay for our healthcare is hard to hear but I'm doing the best I can and have to hope that's enough.

    You really do give me hope that things get better and this time around I have a Plan B, C,D,E,F,G and H. So basically, Thank you for writing and sharing your story.

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    1. Awww..thank you so much. And I'm so glad I helped you out, even if it was just to let you know that you're not alone.

      Things do get better. I promise.

      Hugs to you and Gabe (and the Craigslist dude...yay you!). Thanks for sharing your story!

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  30. Thank you for sharing your story. I work in one of "those" food closets. The outside world has no idea, they are clueless. The ideas that they have regarding "those people" are so screwed up. Only 15% of who we help are homeless. The rest "of us" are working poor. In the past 2 years, we have seen a 52% increase in people that can not put enough healthy nutritious food on our tables. They are seniors, on fixed incomes that sometimes have to choose between eating, or getting their medications. 1 in 4 people. who come to our food closet, are children. The greatest gift for me, who helps people feel like human beings, who deserve respect and compassion, is the gratitude that 99.9% of "those people" that we serve. It's the uneducated minions that are clueless, who create this incorrect perception that food closets are for "those people". God bless you, and thanks again for sharing your story!!

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    1. Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing your side of the story...always nice to hear from the wonderful people who work so hard for "those people".

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  31. I work with our church on a project called "Christmas for all" which turned into an going "Groceries for all" project. Recently I got into an argument with a friend, because she called our guests "those people", too. I said that there is only a fine line between our sitting pretty and the fight for survival.

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  32. Jenny, this is a beautifully written post and worthy of your BlogHer honor. I have a friend who just got divorced and she, too, while waiting for late child support payments had to become one of "those people". She drove to the local government welfare office and sat in the car and cried, ashamed to have to choosing between feeding her kids and her pride. It makes me so angry when people make insensitive comments about "those people"...if only they knew.

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  33. I just saw a copy of this post at the food pantry where I volunteer. As one on the "other side of the transaction," I share your anger. The other thing that makes me as angry as disdain is pity. We are all "those people" at some point in our lives, in one way or another.

    The quinoa comment is particularly amusing to me personally. We get it sometimes. Most of the people who come to the pantry don't know what it is - but neither do most of us volunteers. It's a running joke between me and the director that she checks with me on how to pronounce it.

    Thanks for a great post.

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