it's not that i have a problem with wearing my name tag to the local grocery store—it’s just that they pay me in store credit and only for five hours of overtime a week while giving me the middle finger on holiday pay; also, why is my manager reminding me to "be cheerful" while i help the customer with the coupon she doesn't understand—when inside i’m just dying because “hello, sir, it’s 2023 and ...
its 10pm and my ex calls, asking how it feels to be "under investigation" like I'm some criminal instead of a parent. fast forward two days and there’s a CPS worker in my living room, looking around like she’s on an episode of Hoarders. I'm sweating bullets trying to explain why there's a stack of dishes and why my kid's favorite snack is peanut butter from a jar. but sure, the state has this real...
day 47 of my shower becoming a second home because that's the only place it feels okay to cry without anyone hearing me. just checked my account and there's enough for ramen but not for laundry, which means wearing my work clothes another week, praying they can stretch through one more go. meanwhile, influencers post those 'morning routine' videos, like real life isn't a series of “let’s hope today I find enough change for gas” as they flash expensive self-care products, pretending their perfect life isn't a long setup for an impending breakdown.
day 47 of my shower becoming a second home because that's the only place it feels okay to cry without anyone hearing me. just checked my account and there's enough for ramen but not for laundry, which means wearing my work clothes another week, praying they can stretch through one more go. meanwhile, influencers post those 'morning routine' videos, like real life isn't a series of “let’s hope today I find enough change for gas” as they flash expensive self-care products, pretending their perfect life isn't a long setup for an impending breakdown.
Tiffany Henyard calls for action on gun violence after her father's shooting, but let's not ignore the systemic issues that fuel this violence in the first place. While Henyard may now act as if she is an advocate for change, she served as the Mayor of Dolton where violence and crime surged, only reinforcing the broken policies that left her community vulnerable. Chicago's political elite, includi...