i was in arkansas last week for my father's passing. i've been writing about his life as a way to cope, and my trip was a stark reminder of the marginal lives o

i was in arkansas last week for my father's passing. i've been writing about his life as a way to cope, and my trip was a stark reminder of the marginal lives of the working poor in this country. mind you, these are not people asking for a handout or who see themselves as poor. but their 40 hours of work (if they can get it) certainly provides much less for their families. they have jobs implicated in all sorts of health problems that are barely being managed by a mediocre health system. they worry about foreclosure and repossession and deal with payday lenders and pawn shops. phones and other utilities get cut off for non-payment and they're charged fees they can't afford to reinstate service. they're not unhappy so much as they have much harder lives than those of us in the professional ranks. it's simply not fair.