RANTING WHHHEEEEE

Ok, reader, settle in for one of those WHHHEEEEE's. I have something to say and get some popcorn if you want to continue on. YOU have been warned.
Oprah had a show on Friday about a so called taboo subject "social classes" and how they have changed with the economy decline. First a sidebar about how a woman pissed me off with her ignorant comment: she said something to the effect of a lower class person was a waitress or a person in the service industry. EXCUSE ME??? A waitress may not be a profession, but it's a great way to make bank if you're great at it (which I was-hello house and car!!) and if it ends up being your profession good for you! People gotta eat! This is where I insert expletive to the ignorant. Maybe she has only bad service, but servers are not lower class. I think she is for saying it.
Which brings be to my Whhheeeee for the day. I'll start off with I did not see the whole thing. That may not give me the right to rant. I still think I can. This recession sucks. Majorly. Which is why I took more hours at work. If you can get more hours in these times DO IT! I for one have never cared about what I have other than a roof over my head, and a means to transport myself to work, and clothes to wear to work. What kind of roof? One that doesn't leak is good. What kind of transportation? one that works. What kind of clothes? they like us to wear scrubs. Brand names don't matter. I love that I still have a job. I love my family. I'm grateful we haven't lost our house, and that we can put food on our table, and that we can keep the lights on too. Before I got this job, I didn't work for 18 months. I was disabled and they were trying to figure out and eventually came to the diagnosis of epilepsy. Can't waitress with epilepsy. We went through our own mini recession here in our house and had to scale back and do without. I got state disability for one year, and for 6 months, nothing. I don't even know how we survived, but we did. WITHOUT losing our house. WITHOUT going into massive debt.
I don't believe that only money and school degrees should be the defining measures of social classes. How do you handle yourself in times of financial crisis? Do you walk away from it all because you tried everything and it just won't work? Good for you for knowing when to quit. Do you try to sell or go for a short sale so the bank gets SOMETHING? and you can walk away with some dignity too? Even better! Do you file for bankruptcy? Bankrupt your home business a year into it, after deciding to have a child? Then decide to forclose on your house too? And when the bank says it's ok, we'll work with you so you can stay in your house you say 'no it's too much paperwork-it will be easier to move' and then decide to get a new laptop??
This to me is the definition of low class. Not a waitress, or a person in the service industry. The people who buy and buy, decide to bankrupt so somewhere down the line people get laid off. And these people still have jobs. And these people who still have jobs keep buying and living for free till the forclosure goes through. Low class. It has nothing to do with money. It's about attitude and entitlement. And it stinks. And to that I give a big fat expletive WHHHEEEEE