By Patricia Jones, Alliance Community Task Force: Creating Opportunity
Pharaoh's Fury, Magic Maze, Zero Gravity, Freak Out, Rock Star, Cliff Hanger, Dizzy Dragons —even some old favorites like the Merry-Go-Round, Ferris Wheel, Swings, and the Zipper — those and many other great rides were enjoyed by so many in Alliance last week.
And how about those games of skill? Ring-A-Knife, Speed Ball, Balloon Water Racing, Shoot out the Star, Ring a Coke Bottle. There are kids who spend months practicing so they can win those prizes. Did you ever win a stuffed animal? Or a fish? How exciting!
Is there another time you get the chance to eat Fried Oreos and Twinkies? Carnivals and fairs feature funnel cakes, kettle corn, cotton candy, corn dogs, sno-cones, and beer gardens. Probably not what you'd call nutritious food, and not what you'd eat every day.
Another Heritage Days has come and gone. A comment I frequently hear from my (middle-class) friends is, "Those people have no money. How can they spend hundreds of dollars on the carnival?"
Yes, that money is gone in a few short hours. But for those in poverty, life is all about relationships. For them the celebrations like Heritage Days are a great time to meet up with friends and family and a great place to take dates. Children are so excited by the lights, the sounds, the smells! For many families in our area, this may be the closest thing they have to taking a vacation.
Is there a better way to show how we value others than to share our time? Shouldn't we get together to enjoy food and entertainment?
We need to understand that most people in poverty are controlled by the tyranny of the moment. When they get money, there are so many demands that they can't decide how to spend it. Several bills have to be paid, some past due. Children need food, clothing, school supplies. There may be medical issues or car problems.
For those of us in the middle class, we would make a plan. We'd pay off any bills that are costing us the most in the long run—rent so we don't get evicted, utilities so they don't get shut off, credit card bills because the interest is ridiculously high.
For those in poverty, dealing with tyranny of the moment creates so much stress that they cannot reason this all out. Even though those summer festivals give short-term entertainment, it's worth it to relieve that stress. It's worth it to show your children that life isn't all bad, that there are times to celebrate. And it is worth the cost, even if a bill goes unpaid for another month.
The other thing we have to understand is the present vs future conundrum. Those of us in the middle class think about and save for the future. We set aside part of our paychecks to buy a car or a house. We plan for our children to go to college. We choose jobs that have benefits and retirement accounts, and we invest in funds or IRAs so that we can stop working after a certain age and still live comfortably.
Remember tyranny of the moment? People who live in poverty do not plan for the future. It's all they can do to live in the present. There isn't enough money to save. If extra funds do come in, through a work bonus or a tax refund, that money is immediately spent. If this month's bills are paid, then it's time to buy something like a new television to celebrate and to provide that entertainment for the family. Plus, if you don't spend it, you'll feel obligated to give it to that next friend or relative who comes asking for help. After all, you may have been on the receiving end in the past, and you may be again in the future.
Is it reasonable for us to criticize someone for "wasting" money on the carnival, about the same amount we might spend golfing?
Through our poverty trainings, we have learned that people who live in poverty have a different mindset from those who live in middle class. We shouldn't judge when things seem illogical to us. Spending on celebrations like Heritage Days, for someone with different values, makes perfect sense.