Chalk up another mighty row with the parents. What about? Money.
It all started because of this $900 dollars that the government is forking out. I was so excited! $900 dollars that i couldn't save - in fact, i'd be commanded to spend it on whatever i liked. I had big plans! I could spent it on all of the technology that i really couldn't justify otherwise. Things that i WANTED, not needed. I could stop scrimping and saving for a change. It was going to be great.
And then i started hearing things. Seems like i don't get anything at all. Apparently, i don't count as a taxpayer because i don't earn more than $10, 000 a year - which means that whenever i get taxed, i get it all back. Ok, that makes sense. I get all of my tax back, so i don't deserve to fit into that category. But then there's the student bonus. I'm a student. I pay HECS fees. Therefore i should get the money, yes? No. Apparently, because i'm not on a student allowance, i don't really count as a student (what does this make me? A tool who spends her time hanging around a uni without actually studying there?!).
I'm not allowed student allowance because my dad earns too much money. This would make sense - if my dad gave me heaps of money. My parents don't fork out money, and i don't ask for it. I work two jobs but don't get paid heaps. So, my funds are fairly depleated. Always. The government refuses to help me, without looking at my earnings, because they assume that my parents shower me with money. I know for a fact that a bunch of my friends get given loads of money from their parents, and still get government money. Dad says that it all depends on what people declare and things... all i know is that friends of mine who earn more than me get government money on top of that. Not fair.
I was talking to mum and dad about how unfair it was. Their solution? Same as their solution for everything; quit my job at church. Apparently 'working at a church' is synonomous for 'root of all evils'. Ironic. I could quit my job, where i run programs, organise events, handle money, advertising, man phones and interact with all sorts of people. I'm helping make my little corner of the world a better place. And i could go ring up magazines at the local newsagent. Fulfilling? No. Teaching life skills? Nope. More money? Yup. I refuse to quit my job. As much as it stresses me out sometimes, i don't know what i'd do without it.
Then it turns to how priviledged i am, because my dad earns money. Don't get me wrong, i'm grateful for everything that i have, truly. But it doesn't control my life. Mum disagrees. Whenever i say that i don't need all of the perks - i'm fairly sure she thinks i wouldn't cope without it all. She doesn't understand that 50% of the time, i'm away from her. I'm at work, i'm out and about - and i'm living within MY means, small as they are.
It'd be different if i lived alone. I mentioned this - and they laughed in my face. 'You have no idea how much it costs to live out of home'. Duh, i wouldn't be able to afford it - but not for the reasons they think. Mum's argument: 'do you know how much i spend on food?!' - i don't need to eat like we do at home! Mum buys the best of everything. But i don't need that! I could live off two minute noodles. I do, when i'm away from home! I don't need fancy food. Mum scoffed - 'you like greek feta best! not the others!' She's absolutely ridiculous. Yes, i like greek feta better than other fetas. But what does that have to do with anything!?! If i can't afford feta, i don't eat feta. I'm not so accustomed to my style of living that i couldn't live without fine foods.
For my mother and father to have such a low opinion of me that they believe i couldn't survive without expensive food, fancy meals out and holidays away both infuriates and saddens me. I can't believe that they have such a low opinion of me... It's unfair, and goes to show just how little they really know me. I give up a lot of myself, my time and my money to do my job well. My parents refuse to get involved in that world, so they don't see any of it - apparently they just think i'm a lovely girl, who's spoiled and stupid, to be working in a fulfilling job that doesn't pay well.
I think they've got a few things wrong. But they both sit there, chuckling, laughing at me and telling me that i'm just dramatic and scoffing at my insistance that i'm more than that.
It's a horrible feeling.
It all started because of this $900 dollars that the government is forking out. I was so excited! $900 dollars that i couldn't save - in fact, i'd be commanded to spend it on whatever i liked. I had big plans! I could spent it on all of the technology that i really couldn't justify otherwise. Things that i WANTED, not needed. I could stop scrimping and saving for a change. It was going to be great.
And then i started hearing things. Seems like i don't get anything at all. Apparently, i don't count as a taxpayer because i don't earn more than $10, 000 a year - which means that whenever i get taxed, i get it all back. Ok, that makes sense. I get all of my tax back, so i don't deserve to fit into that category. But then there's the student bonus. I'm a student. I pay HECS fees. Therefore i should get the money, yes? No. Apparently, because i'm not on a student allowance, i don't really count as a student (what does this make me? A tool who spends her time hanging around a uni without actually studying there?!).
I'm not allowed student allowance because my dad earns too much money. This would make sense - if my dad gave me heaps of money. My parents don't fork out money, and i don't ask for it. I work two jobs but don't get paid heaps. So, my funds are fairly depleated. Always. The government refuses to help me, without looking at my earnings, because they assume that my parents shower me with money. I know for a fact that a bunch of my friends get given loads of money from their parents, and still get government money. Dad says that it all depends on what people declare and things... all i know is that friends of mine who earn more than me get government money on top of that. Not fair.
I was talking to mum and dad about how unfair it was. Their solution? Same as their solution for everything; quit my job at church. Apparently 'working at a church' is synonomous for 'root of all evils'. Ironic. I could quit my job, where i run programs, organise events, handle money, advertising, man phones and interact with all sorts of people. I'm helping make my little corner of the world a better place. And i could go ring up magazines at the local newsagent. Fulfilling? No. Teaching life skills? Nope. More money? Yup. I refuse to quit my job. As much as it stresses me out sometimes, i don't know what i'd do without it.
Then it turns to how priviledged i am, because my dad earns money. Don't get me wrong, i'm grateful for everything that i have, truly. But it doesn't control my life. Mum disagrees. Whenever i say that i don't need all of the perks - i'm fairly sure she thinks i wouldn't cope without it all. She doesn't understand that 50% of the time, i'm away from her. I'm at work, i'm out and about - and i'm living within MY means, small as they are.
It'd be different if i lived alone. I mentioned this - and they laughed in my face. 'You have no idea how much it costs to live out of home'. Duh, i wouldn't be able to afford it - but not for the reasons they think. Mum's argument: 'do you know how much i spend on food?!' - i don't need to eat like we do at home! Mum buys the best of everything. But i don't need that! I could live off two minute noodles. I do, when i'm away from home! I don't need fancy food. Mum scoffed - 'you like greek feta best! not the others!' She's absolutely ridiculous. Yes, i like greek feta better than other fetas. But what does that have to do with anything!?! If i can't afford feta, i don't eat feta. I'm not so accustomed to my style of living that i couldn't live without fine foods.
For my mother and father to have such a low opinion of me that they believe i couldn't survive without expensive food, fancy meals out and holidays away both infuriates and saddens me. I can't believe that they have such a low opinion of me... It's unfair, and goes to show just how little they really know me. I give up a lot of myself, my time and my money to do my job well. My parents refuse to get involved in that world, so they don't see any of it - apparently they just think i'm a lovely girl, who's spoiled and stupid, to be working in a fulfilling job that doesn't pay well.
I think they've got a few things wrong. But they both sit there, chuckling, laughing at me and telling me that i'm just dramatic and scoffing at my insistance that i'm more than that.
It's a horrible feeling.
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