The Intoxicating Rewards of Poverty

We need those delicious dopamine hits

I remember many times growing up when my whole family would rummage through couch cushions, pockets of clothes, the car ashtray, and anywhere else we could think of to find the money for gas, someone’s cigarettes, or food.

More than once, I have had just enough money for one gallon of gas - just enough to get home and back to work a couple of times.

More than once, I saw my mother write checks knowing they would likely bounce, but we had to eat on that day. Then I grew up and wrote checks knowing there was no money in the bank. So I would write a check for groceries or gas and get cash over. Run down to the bank and deposit that cash to cover a previous check, wait a day, and do it all over again to leapfrog money until I got paid.