Confession: I have a slight obsession with reality shows.
Make that had.
Be it E! Entertainment, Bravo, MTV, VH1, HGTV or any other acronym you can think of chances are there was a show I knew and watched.
I suppose you can say it was my chance to unplug, unwind and live amongst senseless nonsense of television instead of the senseless nonsense of the real world.
There is something sinfully wonderful about watching narcissistic people shop their woes away, only to criticize their actions and swear you aren't as bad as they are. To swear you have a better grasp of reality.
Despite my loyalty, the east coast is shifting my California vanity onto more important topics.
In an effort to cleanse my guilty pleasure and sometimes guiltier conscious, I've been indulging in the wealth of current events, international affairs and political smörgåsbord that is CNN. Not only do they have some of the best and brightest journalists in the business, but they afford me an insane array of information and knowledge.
The other day I found myself binging on CNN, slightly lamenting the state of our world and the chaos that is now the average and norm. Certainly much heavier stuff than the fluff I like to watch, Between quips about the end of the war in Iraq and questioning the relativity of marriage in today's culture, they delved into the topic of homelessness. Except this wasn't your typical onslaught of mundane yet tragic information. For the first time since it's inception some 25 years ago, the National Center on Family Homelessness is now counting children as part of their homeless statistics.
What have they come up with? It's shocking actually: in the home of the brave and land of the free, 1 in 50 children is homeless. 42 percent of these children is under the age of 6, with African Americans and Native Americans "disproportionately represented". Families, not just singles, are finally and accurately being counted as homeless citizens. What's more - 1.16 of these children will not graduate high school. Our youth and future of America is slowly being flushed down the forgotten rabbit hole.
Hearing this was like looking at my once upon a time actuality...
In fact, I was homeless. My childhood can sometimes be a blur of 14 schools and countless apartments - parts of which seem like yesterday, and events that aren't so lucid. Amidst all the musical chairs, there were times when the music would stop and my family was left without a seat, or worse, a roof. The first time that comes to mind I stayed at my aunt's while my mom, dad and little sister slept in the car. We had an old Volkswagen bus that sat about 7 or 8 and looked like something out of a Scooby-Doo cartoon; less Mystery Machine, more homeless family of three clandestinely tucked inside. Another time we were in between a move-out and an as yet unknown move-in. Not having many options and even less money, a family friend told my parents about a house someone was renting that was within our price range. Catch: the house was in LA, didn't have a stove, had walls lacquered with wood and it was constructed presumably with one eye closed. We instantly dubbed it 'The House That Crack Built' lived in it for 3 months and commuted to Orange County for work & school until the ends met the means and we could afford to move back to the suburbs. I can recall a time or two more, but those tend to be the less clear memories.
I can however attest to more late, absent and sick days than a few students combined. Fortunate for me, as hectic and unpredictable as aspects of my life were, my education didn't falter in the long run. In fact, I was accepted into the GATE/Honors program in the fourth grade and have been challenged ever since. I had to strive harder to compensate for what some kids took for granted and had at their leisure.
Looking back now, no one ever knew. Had no idea really. I was ashamed. Embarrassed to be surrounded by the up-and-coming 'burbs and all the pseudo wealth that was seemingly there, my family barely making ends meet month after month. The wealth I now watched on TV. Little did I know the 2007 recession would reveal that more than just my family were struggling; albeit us harder than them, but struggling just the same. It seems no one wants others to know their dirty laundry.
While each situation and story varies, from those caught up and trapped in the consequences of the recession to those plagued by crime and drug abuse, the result is the same; instability, wandering and weary, trying to cope without a roof. Without a feeling of security. But none of this is actually new. New to the masses but not new to reality.
But chances are, that reality TV show won't be picked up my any channel and will continue to be told through peeks and sneaks into what is truly a real problem.Most of us would rather overeat with the Kardashians than pinch and scrap like the Jeffersons. Poverty doesn't sell like outlandish gluttony does and typically people aren't willing to TiVo the folks down the street getting yet another eviction notice on their door. That would be too real in this 8.5% unemployed culture. It seems we want TV that reflects more fantasy than realty. Reality TV is simply too real, especially for those living it.
