I was already running late to class because I had cover a shift for a co-worker, usually I don't work on Tuesday's because of my class, nonetheless I was running late and I really wanted to be in and live in the experience; and based on my luck at these sort of 'experiments' I knew I would end up in the poor class, so because of health reasons I had a small snack and coffee just in case.
Just as I was told, we formed a line and gave our government names to our host. I was fourth in line and was presented with a box of white pieces of paper. I reached and grabbed....MIDDLE CLASS! yay! I was going to eat :) I was then told to sit at a table. I looked around to see what the other choices were, and I was glad I got a table. I learned that if I had picked the poor class I would have had to sit on the floor, but then I took a look at the upper class seating arrangement and I was a bit jealous. The lucky ones got to sit at a beautiful table with a tablecloth, candles and a server. I took a peek at their food and I was drooling, they even had champagne!
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| Upper Class meal |
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| Middle Class meal |
The host started the presentation by giving us information about Oxfam America and what their mission was about and facts to support the disproportionate number of families that go hungry each night. Then next thing you know I was given a scenario on how quickly life as a middle class-er could change in an instant because of a lost job or medical emergency and I was thrown to the poor class. yup, my meal was gone and life as I knew it took a change for the worse. I was amongst others sitting on the floor while the upper class started their meal without a care in the world. They didn't offer us poor folk any crumbs, they ignored us with their fancy food. The middle class enjoyed pasta and garlic bread, while us poor class were offered broth. No one else in my group wanted the broth, they just talked amongst themselves. Being the team player that I am, I took a sip and almost spit it out, the broth had no flavor, no salt , nothing. It appeared to be made of oil and hot water. I was just glad that I had eaten a snack previous to this and I still had my coffee.
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| Flavorless Broth: Lower Class meal |
What did I get out of this experience? Well, I have lived through these experiences, of the reality of living paycheck to paycheck. Of knowing what it is to be hungry, of being so poor that the flavorless broth would have been a blessing to me and my children. I know the reality of what an unexpected illness, a job loss, one of my children being sick and having to care for them, could do to someone with limited income. because of my past experiences I don't take anything for granted and neither should anyone who is blessed to have some sort of food on the table each day.
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/
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