Similar Circumstance, Different Experience

Although it was never discussed plainly while I was growing up, we were a household whose income was supplemented by Government programs. Disabled after working 18 years as a merchant marine, my Dad became eligible when I was 5 years old. When I was 9 years old he became ill, was hospitalized and passed away shortly after due to complications with Pneumonia and an unhealthy body mass index. He was 42 years old.

My mom struggled with depression and a bad relationship after his passing. I was old enough to know that much. The circumstances as to how and why my household grew dependent on public assistance is not the main reason for this post and really none of your business if you have calculating, ignorant, gossipy critical tendencies. I digress. Separating the feelings I have about my past is necessary for me to be able to bring attention to this topic. No one wants to bite the hand that feeds them so I'm sure this is me walking a narrow line between the 'hated' and 'tolerated' of society. That's why some genius-rebel-opinionated-tech-gamer-types, likely from my generation, invented the blogosphere to inclusively share ideas in a non-confrontational setting.      

Times have changed dramatically from the grammar school days of that generation. Teachers are in constant contact with parent(s)/guardian(s) via email. Any one who feels compelled can check to see what their kid is eating for lunch during the week thanks to online web pages launched by the school district or Parish, updated regularly through social media. The punk kid next door can post a video of the fight that happened on the playground after school for mayhem to break out among adults. 

Some things have stayed the same. Like the social-economic class divide between grammar-school aged children that were born to younger, less established parents and those born to older, more educated and experienced parents. Like the way kids earn popularity among peers, regardless of household income, by wanting and having all the latest and greatest 'thing' advertised on TV.

With the last statement mentioning that kids still follow trends with devotion, my assumption is this: Regardless of household income, every school aged child since around 2005 has grown up exposed to some form of Internet ready PC (excluding gaming systems and touch screen devices) at home. By having the World Wide Web at their disposal for homework help, grammar school children have been given a level playing field to a degree, right? How that household decides to share time between one computer, who counts their smart phone as a computer, child safety online and the cost of keeping an ISP is an entirely different post.  Please accept my advance apologies if you are a parent  put on the spot by your school aged child that suddenly has an interest in household finances.  Try not to snap, be positive and honest.  Be proud of your parenting style thus far; just think,  "My kid asked me that?"

How do Government supplement household incomes and the way grammar school has changed or stayed the same come together effectively in this post? I don't know. I simply want to engage you as a member of my reading audience by asking,  What is your perspective?  Do you hide behind a calculating, ignorant, gossipy-critical disguise just to fit in and act exclusive? If so I'm sure you'll just keep being your self-absorbed, high and mighty self.  If not,  you should agree that there is always more to what doesn't get communicated. You should also agree that similar circumstances don't always result in the same experience.