Minimum Wage

I just finished the book for September and I liked it. It took a little while to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down! There are a few things I was thinking about though:

I don't really care for Barbara. A lot of the times I feel like even in living this life, she still feels superior to these people. I mean, there was an entire paragraph about obese people at Wal-Mart. And the paragraph was rude! Really rude, I thought. I understand that this was meant as an honest experiment with no sugar coating or anything like that, but sometimes I felt like Barbara was really judgmental.

At the same time, it was interesting to read about how her relationships developed with her co-workers. I was especially thinking about her relationship with the people she worked with at Merry Maids. She seemed to genuinely care about the pregnant girl and her health. It is interesting to see how different people relate to co-workers. A lot of minimum wage jobs like the ones she had have people in them who are not interested in forging relationships with people they work with. Their job is just a way to make money, not a way to find social interaction outside the home. The only thing these people bond over is a dislike for the management or other employees. But Barbara seemed to want these relationships, even if her fellow employees were not interested.

It is crazy to think that someone in these times could live off of $7 and hour. When I was at BYUI I worked at a furniture store for $6 and hour. $6! I had other income, so it didn't affect me, but I can't imagine how anyone who had to could survive off of that little pay. And to go to school would mean time off and less pay. So it's a vicious cycle of being stuck in lowing paying jobs. It's hard to climb out of that without help. And the help the Government is giving may not be enough...but that's a different discussion for a different kind of blog.

Tis the Season

I’m not really sure it’s my turn to choose the book, but since Cami gave her approval I’ve decided to be in charge of October’s book :)

Since Halloween is just around the corner I thought it would be appropriate to learn a little more about one of its well-known characters:


Not just any old sparkly vampire; we’re going for authentic: Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Interesting

Just finished the book. The story didn't quite grab me like I hoped, but it was interesting. We (I) usually think of disparities in people's living conditions as a result of laziness or government handouts, but its crazy to think that many of the poor are working very hard, usually putting in more hours than most and living in terrible conditions. I liked her commentary at the end about how public services in other countries make up for the low wages moreso than in the US. What were all of your thoughts?

September

Hi gals, how are you all? I talked with Randi yesterday and we weren't really sure who is next in line to choose...I don't think Jenny has chosen and Camille has chosen twice. Anywho, I had a book in mind for my turn so I'll just pick for September. Here's what I want us to read:

I think it sounds super interesting and it comes recommended by my sister and a co-worker. Apparently a woman attempts to live on minimum wage and it talks about the disparities between rich and poor. Its a quick read, 221 pages so I hope you enjoy it. And I would definitely be up for another conference call. Randi and I had fun talking about Gilead. I miss you all and sincerely hope you're doing well!