I can only speak for myself on this issue. I grew up in poverty (born in 1953). My mum often went without food so that my sister, brothers and myself could have food. She worked at night to pay the rent. If she sent my father to pay the rent, he would often end up spending the money on himself. So, yes I know poverty. I was always envious of the kids in the family that my mum worked for because we had nothing and they had so much. It was only as an adult that I came to know how unhappy that family was, while my sisters, brothers and myself had a reasonably happy childhood, making out own toys and our own fun. Life was tough. I left home, joined the Navy, married a sailor and had two kids. He walked out one day and that was that so I moved up to Sydney, lived in the slums, raised my kids on welfare and went without. My mum had moved to New South Wales after her divorce and was working and it was a few dollars from her every week that helped tide me over until the next welfare payment (at a time in Australia that welfare was a pittance compared to now). I was walking around Sydney in the middle of winter with only thongs on my feet (I think Americans call them flip flops?) until mum bought me a pair of sneakers to keep my feet warm. One day I did something I had never done before...I spent $11 on myself to buy a second hand copy of The Lord of the Rings. When I got home the electricity bill was waiting and I sat on my bed and wept and cursed myself for spending that $11 on myself when I should have saved it for the bill. So, yes, I know poverty. I was fortunate in that the money my mum gave me towards food and sometimes the bills, meant that I did not have to do what many women have to do....shack up with some guy who can pay the bills. I left the slums of Sydney and moved down south to the coast because my mum had remarried and had moved down here. I was fortunate after a few years to get government housing so that made life a little easier. I did two things; I lived on a budget and I kept my legs closed. From the time my ex walked out on me, I remained celebate. I did not want my son or daughter exposed to a stream of men. They came first, always.
My son left home and my daughter was doing her HSC. I went to TAFE and did a six months women's education course. I had no confidence and thought I was too dumb to do much. After that course finished I studied at TAFE for 12 months in another course, just for the joy of learning, of researching, of writing and talking to adults (which was something I rarely did raising my kids). I would listen to the other students talk about going to uni and what they would do. After awhile, I realised that my marks were higher than theirs as I was toping most of my classes and the dream took root. Growing up in poverty, uni was only ever for the rich and not something I ever gave a second thought to. But...the dream had taken root and I got a high score and was accepted into uni. I worked had, still living on very little, studying and walking and walking some more. My daughter left home and I contined to study and walk and eventually I graduated with my BA. and then did another year earning my Dip. Ed. After a few years I got a full time teaching position and I now make more money that I thought was possible for me.
Did living in poverty for most of my life diminish my IQ? Don't think so. What it did do was diminish my confidence in my own abilities that I am only now starting to realise.
After all of that, and I am sorry if I bored anyone, it is the metal of a person, the strength and will to learn that makes a person soar, perhaps to "low" heights by some standards, by high by what they thought they could achieve. Money has nothing to do with the desire to achieve, that comes from within. Over the centuries there have been so many who began in humble circumstances, only to soar to great heights by their will to learn and overcome alone.
Poverty does no destroy, a lack of the fire within does. Statistically, my son should have ended up in jail and my daughter should have been a single mother as a teenager. My son, with a lack of education because he didn't take to school well, now makes a damn good income and is happy in his job and his life. My daughter is happily married and life just keeps on getting better. Stop blaming poverty and start blaming a system that instills a lack of the love of learning and everything is everyone else's fault not mine, and teach people to soar.
Ok, waffled on a lot here, but sometimes I do that that when I want to make a point. Sorry if it was too much. Time for dinner.
