We were playing poor, none of us knowing we were actually very poor. Some of that comes from living in a neighborhood with so many people in the same boat—you don’t have people to feel less than in comparison. My parents made it seem like it was our choice to be thrifty. When they said “We can’t afford that” in response to some want or need, it seemed like it was a decision about what was worth putting our money toward, never lack.
