Living on the edge – LIFE AS A HUMAN

Sad to say, but true.

While in my last article I tried to offer to give a glimmer of hope to readers by stating ‘being broke won’t last forever’, the words actually taunted me. I am sure we all know people who were broke and have lived in that state all their lives. Of course, we strive for this not to be our life story, and I wouldn’t wish that existence on anyone. However, as I get older each day and the job hunt becomes more stressful each hour, I open to seeing life as a mature human. Life is not just ups and downs; it is sometimes tiger-wave tsunamis of trials, tribulations and, yes, some successes. One has to have faith in oneself. Being broke is not easy, especially when you’re faced with it day-to-day. You hope for the opening at the end of the tunnel, but you fear you may not find it. As I sit on my bed and write this article, looking down at the ugly eczema on my hand and no drug plan to help me pay for proper medicine to treat it, I become anxious with the thought of this being my life. At the same time, I question how I got in this situation.

Many of us have gone through the university system and worked extremely hard, physically and financially, to get our degrees. Invariable when we meet people at our less than favourable jobs, the subject of where we went to college or what exactly did we study will come up. When we answer, we are often faced with awkward silence or a faint ‘oh’, knowing there’s a bit of pity and maybe a lack of knowledge about the degree we pursued. They underestimate what we have learned and can make us feel like we have wasted our years. We have trouble explaining the degrees that we once held so dear.

It’s funny actually, because people ask these questions thinking we are not as smart as we know we are. They look at us and ask why didn’t we just study a trade, or go into medicine or engineering to find a ‘real’ job. For one thing, I’m not good at any real trade (and I don’t think I am physically able), plus I don’t believe I possess a talent for medicine or engineering. I studied what I studied because it was something I was good at and really enjoyed it. I may be broke when it comes to money, but I feel rich for the education I pursued.

What happened to people believing in different types of knowledge? Has that all gone down the drain because of our economic times? Probably so, and that’s a reality we face. We all strive to find work we are good at, that pays well and fulfills us. The fact is, we all don’t get this reality, but we all have to work hard as hell to get by these days. We might as well be happy doing it.

The life of a broke girl is not just spent complaining about life. Mostly it is playing a daily chess game with bank accounts and bills, emotions and judgements, the outcome of which is measured by success and survival. Being broke may last forever. Stay tuned…

Photo credit:

Microsoft Office Clipart

Guest Author Bio

Keithan Alexis
I am a broke Toronto based University graduate who started blogging initially as a way to release some of my own stress. I soon realized how much people were not getting relatable honest opinions from young people that wasn’t about selling any products.