Andrea Davis's Blog
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By / 05.22.08, 02:12 PM
As an educational supplement to our Mission Year Ashley, Linnea, Melissa, Sam, and I are always reading and having book discussions each week on different assigned books. This year we have read books about race, education, politics, and spiritual development, all in an effort to better understand issues of our world and issues that are particularly relevant to living life here in North Lawndale. Last month we read a book called “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America,” a memoir where a white, female journalist decided to join millions of women in the low-wage labor market, to find out what life is like for the poor – how can anyone survive, let alone prosper, on six to seven dollars an hour? If you have any interest in learning about the daily lives of those who work at businesses that you and I rely on almost daily: waitresses, grocery/retail workers, or other customer service personnel, please pick up this brief, easy-to-read book!
A couple of weeks ago I was downtown on my Sabbath (Monday, our day off), reading “Nickel and Dimed” and I wrote in the back of the book:
“As I read this, a lady working at Navy Pier, carrying a broom and dustpan walks over to rearrange chairs near me. I want to say “I’m sorry… how is it working here? Do you think they pay you enough… how much is it anyway?” But I don’t know how to (and that would be weird, wouldn’t it?). I wish there were some way of communicating some sense of solidarity with her. But who am I kidding? I’m not in solidarity with her. However, now I do have a bit more of an idea of what she actually goes through on a daily basis. So… I just look at her, smile, and say ‘how are you doing?’ – hoping that simply my recognition of her life will mean something.”
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