Andrew Cotto has his story about middle-class debt, but that’s not what this is about.
I was born middle class. My father was a music teacher who drove a Greyhound bus in the summer. As a housewife, my mother worked toward her Bachelor’s degree and also became a teacher. I wore hand-me-down clothes and had sneakers with holes in them. The kids in my neighborhood were of similar circumstances. We played on the railroad tracks and threw rocks at each other. I was aware of other kids at school who had more—birthday parties, VCR machines, and stereos instead of transistor radios. I had my first job at the age of seven. Still, we had a good life. But my parents must have felt the strain. My father went into business, and we began to move. Our houses grew larger with every city. Eventually, I knew what it was to be one of the “haves.” But this is not my story.
I attended a private college in Virginia. There I discovered literature and a knack for creative writing. After graduating during a recession in the early 90’s, I dug ditches in rock-hard, California clay and plastered houses for a year or more while saving money for a move back to New York. My plan was to substitute teach in Brooklyn while pursuing a Master’s degree in literature. I wanted to teach. And write. And have a good life. But someone offered me a steady job—a job with benefits, a salary, and a chance to make some serious scratch if I worked hard. I knew hard work. But I was confused. Everyone I asked told me to take the job. So, I took it. After a few years, I began to make some real money. But I remembered my roots and never lived above my means. I married and began a family. After a decade of solid earnings, my desire to teach and write came calling. So, I quit my lucrative job and ventured into the realm of teaching and writing. But this is not my story.
♦◊♦
I earned a Master’s degree in Creative Writing and began to teach on the college level. The pay was miserable. I wrote a lot but earned very little. My wife, who was also a teacher, and I cobbled together an income, for years, that was simply not sustainable. We refused to delve into our net worth (real estate, investments, savings from the boon years), so we budgeted and lived, as best we could, off our existing income. Even with this austerity, for the first time in our adult lives, my wife and I began to accrue debt. Thus began the spiral into credit purgatory, the reliance on credit cards to absorb the monthly expenses that exceeded our so-called middle-class income: daily necessities, common bills, student loans, health insurance, home insurance, child care, child enhancement, mortgage payments, property taxes, college savings, and the myriad of never-ending minor expenses (each parking ticket was a kick in the kidneys). I did the math a million ways and could never come up with a figure that left us in the black. But this is not my story.
After years of ascension as successful educators, my wife and I finally made enough money to be comfortable. But still, the debt lingered. No matter how I partitioned the incoming revenue, I could not get rid of the debt. It was a horrible trap. The rates changed and general expenses rose; at the end of each month, I was left wondering where all the fucking money went. Of course, I knew, it went toward the rising cost of living and those horrible credit card bills that lingered like a Groundhog Day hangover. But this is not my story.
I decided to break my vow of austerity and to delve into our savings. The debt will be paid, our net worth hardly dented, and we will live month-to-month with some extra on the side for savings or luxury. We will be fine. But this is not our story. This is the story of the people out there, just entering the work force, or already immersed, who have to endure a system that is rigged, in large part, to deny most of them the common comfort associated with the middle class. What would I tell someone coming out of college who, like me, aspired to be a teacher and a writer? I was lucky in those early years—there was another option for me, and my dreams could wait. But those options are rare these days, and this is not my story.
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photo: qmnonic / flickr
Great post. So relevant. I got that job too and am still doing it and earning a nice living. But the dream of writing still burns inside me. Someday.
Thank you, Mrs. O! And you’re absolutely right, it was never easy…but it seems so in comparison.
Well said Andrew….whatever ha ppened to our world. The middle class is disappearing . Life was never easy but it sure seems so much harder, these days….Mrs.O
Thanks, Super T.
And thanks for your supportive words for Lynn.
Best,
Andrew
Very thoughtfully written Andrew. Thank you.
Lynn up above… my heart and best wishes go out to you. Be brave, stay strong, find comfort in your family & friends, and drink up everything good that life has to offer. My family is in a good place right now and I say thanks every day knowing that a simple twist of fate can completely change our lives.
In these times, we should live large when times are good but always do our best along the way to be mentally and financially prepared for the grey days.
Thank you, Pat. Your comments are so appreciated (and right on…).
Thanks for the insightful recognition of the less-is-more approach to cursing in writing. And thanks for allowing me to share in your first foray into profanity on the page. Sometimes scandal feels good.
Best,
Andrew
Hi Andrew.
As usual a highly readable, insightful piece. I enjoy your work very much.
I like too, that you don’t use curse words in a gratuitous way, but with just the right emphasis.
Sometimes you just gotta say fuck. (I think that’s the first time I ever wrote that). It feels scandolus.
Thanks, Arlene!
I appreciate the thoughts and support.
Best,
Andrew
Andrew
Once again (via your dad) I read your articles and marvel at your insight….Keep the writing up and the debt down (if possible) Iremember those days very well and can honestly say that until ALL my kids graduated from college did I free myself from debt. Then through my great wisdom I invested in real estate with a mortgage!! Wonderful planning.
My best to all of you and please add me to this list of friends and family
Arlene
Thanks again Andy for sharing your wonderful talent at writing. I am greatful for the faith and hope in God that was passed down to me. It keeps me going through whatever tough times that come into my life. I am greatful for those who in their own way, in whatever small ways they can, are there for me to encourage and help me on this journey of life. I am greatful for the ability to live simply and not worry about keeping up with things that this world tells you you have to have. So far I have still… Read more »
Thanks, Barbara!
you ever figure out where all the fucking money went? good read.
I’m still looking for that money, and my YZ80 from 1980…
Hi, Lynn.
Thanks, so much, for sharing your story. You did a wonderful job depicting the enormity of challenges that face so many families these days. Great writing and storytelling. I applaud your courage in the face of such uncertainty and wish you and your family the best. I’m glad that you have each other, and I have hope that better days are ahead for the many, many families like yours.
Sincerely,
Andrew
This hits home in a major way for me. I am 36 years old and I live with my parents and one sister who has several health problems. My sister has a masters degree and is adjunct faculty at a local university but can’t get on full time because the school requires a PhD for a professorship, and pursuing that degree at this time–besides being an expense she can’t afford–would compromise her mental well-being. She doesn’t have, and can’t afford, insurance and has to be on some pricey medication in order to function. There are some health problems that will… Read more »
Thanks, Kevin. You are right: it does need to change.
Best,
Andrew
nice article, Andrew. It’s a hard to accept that the system is a game manipulated by very few at the expense of so many. It needs to change. The future of our middle class is the key to this country’s future.
You DO get it. It is my dream to write and read, but I am already accumulating debt (some of which is not mine) so my family is pressuring me to get a career in making a lot of money fast.
Thank you.
Hi Lena,
I wish I had some inspiring advice, but if there’s a way to make some money now…
Good luck to you.
Best,
Andrew
Thank you, Tru. I appreciate the thought.
You get it. Thank you.