A college friend of mine posted this on facebook with the caption, “It’s called responsibility people!” I kind of sighed and shrugged it off until I noticed all the likes and happy comments it was getting. It’s great this soon-to-be college graduate has worked his or her way through school debt free. But many of us can use the same phrases in this “I am NOT the 99%” picture with a different end to the story. I am one of them. I did not get 90% of my moderately priced, in-state, public university schooling paid for by scholarships. Instead I took out loans, that I am still (very slowly) paying off. I worked at least 30 hours a week busting my @$$ to pay for my room and board and books and everything else that popped up while I was in school. In fact, for a while I worked my 30+ hours in a restaurant, worked 30+ hours of night shift at a hospital an hour away and I donated plasma for extra funds as well. When I got out of school, I got into the aerospace industry - and was laid off. I then found employment in the travel industry - until 9/11 happened. I’ve lived well within my means, but can’t save money for the future because I have bills to pay in the now. One of those bills is from a hospital for procedures done when I could not afford individual health insurance and was not offered any coverage at my workplace. Do I blame Wall Street and governement and expect things to be handed to me? No. Do I believe that you somehow deserve some extra cookie because you were smart enough to get a scholarship to pay your way through school? No. You can’t see that there are good people around you that are struggling in the 99%? You need some real-world education as to what is really going on in this country outside of your bubble. Whether or not you are in the 99% isn’t always your decision, contrary to your belief. Whether you are disrespectful and disdainful of those who are in the 99% is most certainly always your decision. </rant>
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A college friend of mine posted this on facebook with the caption, “It’s called responsibility people!”

I kind of sighed and shrugged it off until I noticed all the likes and happy comments it was getting. It’s great this soon-to-be college graduate has worked his or her way through school debt free. But many of us can use the same phrases in this “I am NOT the 99%” picture with a different end to the story.

I am one of them.

I did not get 90% of my moderately priced, in-state, public university schooling paid for by scholarships. Instead I took out loans, that I am still (very slowly) paying off. I worked at least 30 hours a week busting my @$$ to pay for my room and board and books and everything else that popped up while I was in school. In fact, for a while I worked my 30+ hours in a restaurant, worked 30+ hours of night shift at a hospital an hour away and I donated plasma for extra funds as well.

When I got out of school, I got into the aerospace industry - and was laid off. I then found employment in the travel industry - until 9/11 happened. I’ve lived well within my means, but can’t save money for the future because I have bills to pay in the now. One of those bills is from a hospital for procedures done when I could not afford individual health insurance and was not offered any coverage at my workplace.

Do I blame Wall Street and governement and expect things to be handed to me? No. Do I believe that you somehow deserve some extra cookie because you were smart enough to get a scholarship to pay your way through school? No. You can’t see that there are good people around you that are struggling in the 99%? You need some real-world education as to what is really going on in this country outside of your bubble. Whether or not you are in the 99% isn’t always your decision, contrary to your belief. Whether you are disrespectful and disdainful of those who are in the 99% is most certainly always your decision.

</rant>