Thoughts on "Welfare"

As I grew up in an upper-middle class home, I had little to no interaction with anyone on welfare. This is neither negative nor positive, as I am sure my parents were looking out for my well being by protecting me both physically and emotionally from what I am sure they considered a threatening and unhealthy environment for a child. However, because of this lack of experience on my part, as I got older, I was suspicious and even condescending toward this group of people. This negative connotation stuck with me well into my college years, that is, until one day after a conversation with my mother.

It sounds cliche, but my mother is really the person I most respect and admire. A first generation college graduate, she graduated UC Davis with honors and entered law school, all while being legally blind. Though law school did not work out, not for lack of ability, but a disenchantment of our legal system, she landed a fantastic job a very successful environmental company. This was the story I had always heard. Little did I know, there were a few bumps in the road that would change my perceptions of government assistance forever.

She informed me casually one day that after she decided to leave law school, she did not have a job lined up. She had a pile of bills to pay, and student loans began to demand repayment. Consequently, no income and increasing debts left her with few options. She applied for food stamps. My jaw dropped, I could not believe that my mother, intelligent, proud and successful as she was, could set aside her pride and ask for government assistance. I realized that at that moment, no one is immune to hardship. I had never even considered the thought that it could just as easily happen to me.

She never needed to use to the food stamps, as she got a job even before they could even fully process her information. But she was not afraid to ask, and that made a huge impression on me. She told me that things like that are there to help in times such as hers, but are not to be taken advantage of. I learned not to be so quick to judge others in their hard times, as I may be there someday myself.