I Give Good Hugs

I had dinner tonight with some friends. They used to be considered left leaning, no longer in today's world. But they asked me: Why am I so angry? I had to think. I'm not angry at people who are unaware. Some are, but I'm really not. Frustrated, for sure. Angry? No. I'm not angry at my wife or children. I'm not even angry at the ones I consider blind. Blind to everything going on around them. Happily oblivious to the world crashing down around their ears. Frustrated? Sure. Angry? No. The trolls, the ones that call me names for not complying. The ones that call me names for trying to share valid information. Still, I'm not really angry. But. I am angry. I started from literally nothing. My father passed away when I was 14. Mother was never there. I raised my two younger sisters. Something that no young man should have to do. I had my first job at 13 (I lied about my age) to try and put food on the table. I joined the army at 18. My immigrant wife and I rented our first apartment together when I was 29. Our furniture consisted of a small TV, a mattress on the floor, and some boxes fashioned out of cardboard boxes. We ate the cheapest ground beef and noodles we could afford from the no-name store. (Canafian cheap brand) My son's first Christmas, we had about 50 bucks to our name, and spent every dime on him to make memories. My point being: I have worked my ass off, broken bones, bled, sweat, and cried to provide the home we have now. And we stand to lose it all. Our business died over covid. We scrape to afford groceries and pay our new inflated mortgage. The bills are literally piling up. And I'm not sure we will make it. We're over taxed. No matter what the hell the government says, the costs of living have skyrocketed. We have two young children, and we try to hide it from them, but I'm sure they can tell... We didn't overspend. We tried to plan ahead. We live a modest life of the blue collared, middle-class family. But I am angry. And I'll direct that anger at the ones I see responsible. The inflation. The costs of living. The sharp rise it's all taken. This is not my fault in any way. I lie that at the feet of our government. And it needs to change.