The Girl from the Long Road

adulting:

I highly recommend reading classragespeak ‘s essay, “Nine Things I Wish Economically Privileged People in My Life Knew” in its entirety. Class is such a powerful, defining characteristic in people’s lives, and you need to be thoughtful and considerate about it. 

classragespeaks:

1. I need and deserve as much space to talk about my experiences as you do to talk about yours. Talking about money- especially money one doesn’t have- is considered crass and impolite, but I can’t be fully myself without bringing that up. I know it makes people uncomfortable sometimes, but honestly, that’s not a good enough reason to expect me to keep quiet. As much as anyone else does, I deserve the right to talk openly about my background, my challenges, the reasons behind decisions I make- the realities of my life. 
   
2. Being poor has substantial, everyday, direct effects on my life, and if you spend time with me, you will have to deal with those effects.Nearly everything I do, every decision I make, is in some way affected by my financial status. If you’re close to me, you will watch me struggle with money and financial decisions on a daily basis. If you want to do something with me, it has to be something I can afford. If you give me advice or recommendations, you will have to take into account my budget, or else your attempt at help will just sound laughably insensitive. There’s no way around it.

(note: these are actually things three and four; tumblr won’t play ball with my attempts to correctly number them.)

cairobserver:

Learning from Cairo seeks to engage the current political and urban transformation unfolding in Cairo as a critical context for examining relevant international case studies and best practices in areas ranging from housing, transportation, public space, and local governance to informality….

theclairvoyancecollective:

Here’s what I know about life.

I don’t know.

“And that’s all I have to say about that.”

I know, for example, that if I were to ever get a tattoo, I would get “make me a bird” written somewhere around my ribs.

Make me a bird

It’s from my favorite film of all time: Forrest Gump.

…

theclairvoyancecollective:

“But you tickled me in my dream last night. From under a cover. There were people around. It is impossible for you to be seen acting human with me again. Now, you are plain ashamed of the “you” I used to know. It doesn’t go with the new social status and the self adoration.

Were they seconds?…

theclairvoyancecollective:

You’re strolling aimlessly down the “tools & misc.” aisle at the hypermarket.You’re still loyally holding her silky hand, The Girl You Used To Know.

Your soles squeak against the freshly varnished floor. The air smells of glue and anti-rust products.

She squeezes your hand, your sign to halt….

theclairvoyancecollective:

Ahuh.

It’s as if I was born tied to millions of colorful helium balloons raising me up, flying aimlessly wherever the wind takes me.

Like Mrs. Twit*.

Mrs. Twit was pulled up high by hundreds of balloons. She kept flying upwards and away from earth, till she found a way to come back down….

theclairvoyancecollective:

When nothing should be said, and only you so achingly feel the weight of that. More so the need for it.

When your heartbeat becomes your closest confession.

When lucid thought demands lucid expression, but you’re not awake. So thought accommodates. And accommodates.

When syllables lose their…