Copyright: <a href='https://www.123rf.com/profile_ilexx'>Tatiana Shepeleva</a>
California is a state which exhibits the glaring disparity between the working class or blue collar workers and the white collar workers who are able to work remotely from home. I am one of those people who is fortunate enough to stay home for the most part and work via Zoom, phone, and email. But I remember when I grew up working in warehouses, and as a driver when I wasn't able to stay home. If I was out there in the middle of the COVID maelstrom, I most certainly would have been exposed to the virus. I don't think enough of us appreciate our position and even worse we don't help out those who are really making a difference for us, the essential workers.
I will give you a perfect example of how this has impacted me directly. I have an old acquaintance who was working in the music industry for years as a stage hand and set designer. He had a great career working in this field but when all the music venues stopped conducting shows he was out of a job. No more Coachella, no more Stage Coach, and no more work. He went back to work as a foreman in construction, because believe it or not, people apparently still need luxury homes built during this crisis. It's important to have priorities...right?
He was thankful for the work, but many of his fellow workers were not following the company protocol regarding COVID on the job. Some would remove their masks, some would show up to work sick, because they needed the money, and low and behold there was a break out on the job sight. My former friend contracted COVID and after a month in the hospital he died. A terrible tragedy, especially since it could have been avoided if he hadn't needed to work. There are so many people who contact the disease because they work out of necessity and many of them get sick and unfortunately some of them have passed away.
Everyone sees California as a land of fruits and nuts, but really this state was founded on the backs of the working class and it still is run by those types of people. The rest of the country sees a bunch of rich Silicon Valley billionaires and think that people here don't work, but I'm here to tell you that is simply not true. Most of the people living, working, and dying are hard working Californians who must leave home out of necessity to provide for their families. That is the real California, and they support the rest of us.
In contrast, where I live, you wouldn't think that the COVID crisis has affected anyone. It's seriously a bunch of wealthy assholes and fortunately or unfortunately I am in the middle of them. I guess that makes me an asshole too. However this crisis has really brought the difference in the two Californias home to me. My neighbor, while being very nice and sweet to my family, is more concerned that she hasn't been able to shop or get her nails done, or a massage once a week, When my wife told me that's what she's upset about, her lack of amenities, I nearly lost it and went over to berate her about what really matters. But I stopped myself because she was my wife's friend, but also because I felt like my tirade would fall on deaf ears. People do not want to hear about other people's problems. They are more concerned about their own. I get it...but then again I don't.
I asked my wife, "Why doesn't she take that money for massages and donate to a relief fund for people out of work?"
My wife, taking the lead, did ask her that exact question, and the response she received, "Well that money would just be wasted on some homeless bum or something."
"As opposed to a massage which is putting it to good use?" was my wife's response.
"Touche honey, touche!", I thought.
Two different economic states within one state. The real California.
