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Money & Food

Money and Food

When I was a senior in high school my family had no money even though my mother dying of cancer worked two jobs. She was a content mastery or special education teacher during the days and worked at night in a retail store. My father who should have never let his family become homeless was barely functional and worked at Sear's in the lawn and garden department.

Anyways I didn't always get lunch money so I had to spend 60 cents on chips and that's all I ate all day. What began to happen had never happened to me before. During a tennis tournament after school I finished my last match and when walking off the court I felt dizzy like I was going to pass out. I told my coach and he asked what I had had for lunch. I told him I didn't have lunch. He then called me stupid for not eating.

It's a sad story that he had no idea my struggle. I adapted to the dizzy feeling by instead of getting to warm up with the rest of the team I had to eat 3 bites of trail mix and water so I wouldn't pass out during 7th period tennis. This is also an instance where Charlie's mind of a child would rear its head. He would always make fun of me just like everyone else because I would just accept it. The guy is mentally challenged which was frustrating to deal with, so I just let words slide by with appeasement. One of the most embarrassing things that happened from not eating is my stomach would growl from 5th period to 7th, so 1.5 hours of discomfort and embarrassment when the class was quiet it would make the sound, I had to sit with both arms applying pressure every class to keep the growling at bay. Eventually I put in the application for reduced lunch and halfway through the year I moved in with Carleton where his mom did give me money for lunch every day. She also would make a small breakfast every morning, a custom I wasn't used to.