Takes one to know one.

I applied for food stamps today.  I put it off for a long time.  I don't want to be on food stamps.  It's a last resort.  It's not that I feel shame about it, it's that I didn't want to apply for them unless I absolutely didn't have a choice.  And right now, I absolutely don't have a choice.  My parents leave town for 3 months in two weeks from now.  John has consistently been giving me less and less money lately.  One restaurant closed for health violations, and the other just isn't paying off.  So, off I went to the food stamp office.

Boy did I feel like a fish out of water.  I was the only white girl there.  That's nothing new to me.  I worked in the hotel for so many years, I'm fine with being the minority in the room.  But this was a different crowd than I'm used to.   This crowd is a loud, outspoken one.  It was actually a very sort of comfortable community feeling in an odd way, to tell the truth.  Everyone just said anything to anyone.  There are NO filters in this conversation pool.  The people gathered there today say whatever is on their minds to anyone who'll listen.  And EVERYONE listens, and responds. 

At any moment, I was expecting the Cheshire Cat to creep out of a corner and start singing, "Oh What's A Nice Girl Like You.... A Doin In A Place Like This?...."

The guy next to me was reading the Post.  Huge headlines about the guy that was arrested for killing the Cop,  Officer Figoski.  There was much banter in the room about the fact that the guy will never see the light of day again.  That he'll be put in solitary confinement, and be treated like shit for the remainder of his pathetic life.  That prompted a brief debate about whether he would be put in solitary, and request general population, or vice versa.  One woman put an end to the conversation when she turned around and stated, "He's gonna have to request general population, if he wants it.  Believe me, I know.  My four brothers and my husband are all in prison, I know."  ---she said it as if she were wearing a badge of knowledge honor.   She was kinda patting herself on the back for having the facts.
So, of course, my obnoxious self starts judging her immediately, and wondering what the hell she's so God damn proud of.   .    .   .

and then it hit me. 

 My ex husband is about the be sentenced (in February) for his crimes.  There's a good chance that he'll go to prison.  I'm NO better than anyone in this room.  The only difference between me and them, apparently, is that I have a filter. I don't feel the need to talk loudly about my misgivings...

And then again, another epiphany-- isn't that EXACTLY what I'm doing here on this blog?  
Talking loudly about my issues. 
My crimes, and/or the crimes of my family.  I guess I found my demographic- the web using, educated(?) genre... they talk loudly to THEIR demographic- the other people at the office today. 

Food stamp recipients- I guess it takes one to know one. I'm one.