About Madeline Jo Kennedy

A note to the reader:


 I am not of fine breeding, wealth or status. I wield no power and am largely just a normal person. I am from a tiny town in the boondox.

boon·docks

ˈbo͞onˌdäks/

noun

NORTH AMERICANinformal

1. rough, remote, or isolated country.

While the country is a definitive part of my roots and life on this planet, it did not satisfy me. I wanted more from my childhood. I wanted a larger room, I wanted better vacations. I wanted to attend beautiful parties. I wanted to be on a boat. I remember pretending that I was a rich, fascinated by the lifestyles I could only imagine. I blame America's Castles on A&E for fueling my petty need for a lavish life.

By middle school my friend's dad bought a boat. There we summered on the lake. We luxuriated in our good fortune. We lounged in the sun in our bathing suits thinking, "this is the life". Eventually the boat was sold but the seed was then planted. Outside of the life that I lived with my best friend in her world, mine was actually quite different. Not one single grocery list that my mom compiled in the years of middle and high school would be complete without the addition, "bare necessities now, just bare necessities".  We always had enough growing up but I was plainly aware of how much living middle class must cost. As I grew into my adulthood I was somewhat prepared for my own "bare necessities" adulthood.

In 2007 I was living on top. I had my own house I was renting that was more than big enough for just me, my backyard was expansive and included my vegetable garden and my pool. I afforded whatever food I wanted. I threw large and detailed parties regularly. I shopped too.  I had some savings but not much. I was enjoying life at a young age. I felt like even as a restaurant manager, I could have whatever I wanted. The very next year the economy crashed to the ground, taking all of my stability and hopeful future with it.

This was the first time that I had the chance to learn. Unfortunately, I was just too unprepared and the effect of the economy crash forced me to file bankruptcy. "You will be ruined!" "You will never recover financially." "No one will loan you any money!" All of these opinions/facts and more were thrown at me from family. But there was no other choice and I did what I had to do. I made it by okay, at least for a couple years.

The next time financial ruin came my way was during 2014. A long term relationship had ended and it was time to part ways. I needed a new home. I found one that was wonderful and just days before I was to move in, I got fired from my job. To add stress to stress I was becoming increasingly ill. I was unable to work for four months. I had never been out of work for more than a week. The stress of the impending financial doom weighed on me daily. Eventually, I found some work and then a second job. During this time there was not enough money to look nice for work, have make up, and eat. So I decided to forego eating. It just wasn't a necessity anymore. Having clothing for work was the most important. And having make up to look nice was equally important. Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't anorexic by choice just by the harsh have-to's of life. I would dine on rice krispies or rice. It wasn't easy. My hunger was an obvious,plaguing abyss of despair. Sometimes I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Hangry was an emotion that I had to deal with daily. It was hard not to be angry.


It wasn't until a promotion more than a year later that I was finally able to actually pay my bills fully each month. I even bought food from time to time. I began to pay down my debt (again). I began with a total of fourteen debts totaling $4,000. Ten months later I was down to one remaining debt. (I ate regularly at this point.)

These were my struggles. They taught me many invaluable lessons. Lessons of happiness, lessons of will and perseverance, and lessons of ingenuity. I learned how to provide for myself on nothing and how to not feel poor when you are.


I now reside in Savannah, Georgia. I have perfectly accepted that I am Southern and have even embraced it.
I have perfectly accepted that I rose from a decade of poverty to the thin lining of lower middle class. I now have clothing and I get to eat. I also have a deep understanding of luxury on a budget. I hope you enjoy this blog.



Madeline G Kennedy