Reply #11: AMEN SISTER!

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Hi Nicole, I grew up in much the same circumstances as you did. I grew up in a rural town about 20 miles outside of Minneapolis (it was rural back then, now it's a suburban hellhole), surrounded by farms, fields and a few nice country lakes-- completely primative, the only "trails" were the ones we made ourselves.

I also grew up the child of a single parent. My dad left when I was four, and although he did pay support, it wasn't enough for a single mom working a clerical job, raising a son and trying to pay for a house. Thankfully, my grandparents were able to spare some cash and helped us out immensely. Were it not for them, we surely would have been homeless and I NEVER would have made it to college (BTW, I was the first male in my family on EITHER SIDE to finish college).

My wife grew up much the same, outside of New Prague, MN (you may know it). She was the seventh of eight kids in a hard-working farm family who had rough goings through the 80s. She got her first job waiting tables at a truckstop at 14 to earn money for college. Her parents didn't have the $$ to pay for it, so she went on her grants, loans and savings. She oftentimes worked two or three jobs during the summer, over 90 hours per week, to keep going to school.

Today we live in an inner-city neighborhood in Mpls that was "working class" when we moved there, but is becoming increasingly "gentrified" and a "hip" place. :eyes:

I understand completely what you say about the urbanism/ruralism divide here, as well as the classism. Let's face it: most people who have access to the internet make good money and can afford luxuries like computers. I have one because I learned how to build them myself, and subsequently taught myself programming as well.

I have never owned a "new" car in my life. I'm fortunate to be driving one that's less than a decade old and has less than 90,000 on it.

I know that feeling that you have, and I sense it once in awhile in certain debates. I'm sure that some people here think they're "poor" because they have a combined income of $70k/yr, when this is much better than most of the country.

Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone, and there's a few of us out here who can relate to your experience. :pals: