I Need the Money

I Need the Money

August 29, 2024

I am (somewhat) poor.

But, I do have some morals.

I feel the pull of poverty when I do not eat, the stack of bills is too difficult to bear, or when I can’t answer the phone because I know I owe money to the person that is calling.

I feel the pull of morality when I have to see myself in the mirror before making another dreadful decision.

Thus, and this is a rather large thus, I have become creative.

I pose for feet photos.

I permitted a cameraman to tattoo me with temporary ink. I allowed another to film me walking over eggs crushing each and every one of them. I sat for hours reading “Great Expectations” while dangling my pumps from my nylon covered legs.

The money is good.

I wear different polish each week. Some days my feet are covered in mud. Other days it might be pancake batter. Last week, my feet were enveloped with different flavors of Jello. Next week, I will star in a video of a woman who cannot decide on which pair of shoes to purchase.

My cut is nearly a grand a week.

The stack of bills is dwindling. The telephone does not ring as often. I look a little better when I see myself in the mirror in the morning.

The lights finally came back on.

How long I can ride this wave and stay in good graces with my (very) small circle of friends is beyond my pay grade. Right now, I am taking it day by day, expecting nothing from tomorrow.

I still have a few yesterdays that need attention first.

But once I clean the slate of past dues and final notices, I am going to take a computer class or two. For I remember pet rocks. Fads don’t last forever, but my memory of my poverty will.