Live below the line, day 2

Picture of siblings living in extreme poverty in El Salvador. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wow…it was much more difficult to do this today…just 2 days in…I kept thinking about getting something from the vending machine…then had to keep telling myself that someone living in extreme poverty probably wouldn’t have the dollar to waste.  So I did manage to resist.  But I did find myself hungry this afternoon while I was working, really hungry by the time I made it home.

Today’s food and costs are as follows…

Breakfast:

2 slices toast .10, 1T peanut butter  .06,  6 oz oj  .14, cup of hot tea  .04

Total for breakfast  34 cents

Lunch:

pot pie  .35, 1 celery stalk .08, carrots  .07, water  free

Total for lunch  50 cents

Snack:

1/2 serving crackers  .07, water free

Dinner:

baked potato .20, 1/4 C cottage cheese  .18, hot tea  .04,  banana  .18

Total cost for the day…$1.51

So, I did eat a little healthier today, but it wasn’t the tastiest of diets.  I think it would take some major planning for me to eat like this all of the time…well, that or extreme poverty, I suppose.  This kind of makes me think that we should have cooking, shopping, gardening, food preservation, and nutrition classes for the poorest among us…something to help them eat as healthy a diet as possible given the financial limitations they face. Of course, in our current political climate, people don’t seem to be willing to provide any kind of funding to help the people who are faced with abject poverty.  Do I think this is a political issue?  You bet I do.

Related articles

• Extreme Poverty in the United States, 1996 to 2011 (policyabcs.wordpress.com)
• Live Below The Line – A Week’s Worth from Woolworths. (yearofexperiences.wordpress.com)

Dance the night away

Beer bottles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“She won’t be interested in a guy like me…not a girl like that, man.”   Sean gulps the rest of his beer, looking at Kenny, still shaking his head.  He places the empty bottle on the table with a sigh.

“Sean, I don’t even know what you’re talking about.  All a the chicks like ya…why would this one be any different?”

Sean sprawls in his chair, draping his arm over the back of it.  “Kenny, I don’t even know how to explain it.  She’s just different.  A different kind of girl.  And I just can’t see her wantin’ to have anything to do with me.  You know me, you know how I am.  And she’s just…I don’t know…different…”

Kenny picks his beer bottle up off the table and runs his index finger around the water ring.  “I…Sean, I don’t know what to say…you can have any girl you want.  So…I just don’t see where this is comin’ from.  I mean, she’s just a girl.  You haven’t even talked to her yet.  Just…just go over and ask her to dance or somethin’.”  Kenny laughs and says,”Hell, she could be stupid or somethin’…somebody you wouldn’t even want to dance with, much less talk to.”

Sean’s lip curls in a half grin, “Dude, have you even looked at her?  I’m definitely wantin’ to dance with her…and somethin’ too.”  As the two friends share a laugh, Sean glances back toward the girl.  When his chocolate-brown eyes meet her vivid aqua ones, he forgets to breathe.  A slight smile flits over her lips and she looks away.  Sean takes a shaky breath, runs his hand through his thick brown hair, and whispers, “Wow”.

With both elbows on the table, Kenny covers his eyes with one hand, looking down, trying unsuccessfully not to laugh.  “Dude, you got it bad.”

At that time, a couple  stops by to talk with Sean and Kenny.  After talking for a few minutes, the couple makes their way down to the dance floor.  Sean’s gaze is pulled toward the table the blonde is sharing with her friends.  She’s not there!  The dance floor…is she on the dance floor?!  In desperation, Sean tells himself he’s lost his one chance.  His shoulders sag, he drops his head toward his chest.  Then, out of the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of pale blue.  He looks up over his shoulder just as the blonde makes her way toward his chair.

When she reaches Sean, she hesitates for just a second and says, “Hello.”  With the briefest of glances over her shoulder, she continues walking away.