I was inspired by a podcast with Tim Dillon and Ari Shaffir to write this wee blog.
The point of this blog was to highlight the strange, illogical, oppressive nature of opening a bank account. It grew arms and legs, going into my thoughts around money, my experience and community education.
Growing up I always associated money with scarcity, snootiness, and unkindness. I still have to constantly challenge myself and unlearn some of the prejudice I feel towards affluence and the culture associated with being middle class.
Looking back, I think this way of thinking came from my school and the community I grew up in.
Our school was located in-between a deprived and affluent area “the catchment area” as it is often called. Which meant it was a melting pot of class. I was going to write blend; however, I don’t think that describes it well, it was more a divide. We could feel the separation of class in the air. People who had the best jackets, bags and shoes, the people who had big parties for their birthdays with limo’s and hummers, the people who got a car for their 17th birthday even when they couldn’t drive. In stark contrast, there were people who came to school with their jumpers inside out, old shoes, and broken zips on their bags.
-Thankfully everyone got the memo that cheap dolly shoes were cool though.
I remember thinking - I wonder why “they” chose to put everyone together. Did they think we could learn from each other? Was it under the guise of learning about/aspiring for social mobility? Or is just the normal part of life, being around diverse humans; and class is only one factor in the things that make us different, especially as teenagers.
I think I was in the middle of both of those groups. I always had clean clothes, but we couldn’t afford the best of gear. Most of the time I would hide from my mum what everyone was wearing. I knew we couldn’t afford it and I knew she would try her best to get anything, especially if she caught wind of me feeling left out. I will NEVER forget the time I told her about Mckenzie jackets. I was usually ok not wanting the latest gear, but I don’t know what it was about those jackets. Without one, it felt like you were just not part of a club (which seemed to be important when you were 15).
So, I told my mum and she said we could save and get one. I never forgot the experience because of how I felt the day after I went to school rocking my new REVERSIBLE Mckenzie jacket.
I remember walking to school thinking everything was going to change. WHAT a disappointment. Nothing changed. In fact, I felt more annoyed that I had fell for it and that I had asked my mum to save for something so I could try and fit in. I am also sooooo glad for that experience, I learned that even if I did have what everyone else had, life as a teenager at that time would still be the same; tough.
Community Education
When I first discovered Community Education (youth work, community work, informal education etc.) my life fully changed. MY worldview shifted, and everything made more sense.
I found my tribe, people who believed in what I believe and people who understood my life experience. I learned about Paulo Freire, Pierre Bourdieu, Karl Marx, Jean Piaget, C. Wright Mills etc.
I remember hearing more and more about social inequality, injustice, and oppression. It felt overwhelming. I felt both empowered and disempowered at the same time. I gained a language to describe my experience and experiences of people I knew. But I felt overwhelmed with the ENDLESS historical and present-day injustice. It was like I had all of this information and no power to really help create fundamental change.
I began to relate many of the challenges to my life. I remembered the times where my mum would go into overdraft, not having money to pay for something. She would then rack up over-drawn charges which would increase every day...
I remember my mum’s child tax credit support changing as I went into higher education.
And so many more, subtle barriers to prevent us from changing our situation.
In the UK, you can’t get a job without a bank account, you can’t open a bank account without an address etc. Significant barriers if you are homeless and/or trying to improve your situation.
A bit like applying for a job that demands experience when you have none. How can you gain experience if every job requires experience?
In the US, you can’t open a bank account without a $50 deposit… you can’t get a job without a bank account… so how can you open an account without money- then if you open an account and don’t have enough money to pay something you receive a further charge.
Having debt and/or being skint is a stress-inducing, energy-zapping experience. It takes everything from you. The hour-by-hour thoughts about making ends meet prevents you from creating change in your life. The tension and pressure people feel when they are in that overwhelming zone, It is no wonder that they seek coping mechanisms and numbing agents.
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