on class, race, and poverty

Smells like pizza. On plane to Ottawa to a friends wedding. [redacted, for now] I keep saying I’ve never been poorer but yeah… a new low. It kind of sucks. It’s humiliating. There is no dignity in poverty. I see where the saying comes from. I keep saying this is a lesson i’m learing. But man… do I want this lesson to be over. A steady income. A steady place to stay. A steady… sense of self. I see why people cross oceans for the hope of accessing it. Steadiness. It truly is a luxury. // A lot of black faces on this plane. I remember when I first moved to Ottawa, or maybe, one of the first times I visited with the ex. We talked about growing up. I grew up in a predominantly white neighbourhood, went to predominantly white schools, went to a predominantly white university. Most of my interactions were and still are (although becoming less so) predominantly white. She said she grew up around a lot of middle eastern people, more black people, more non-white people. I used to think maybe it…