The "EveryBody" Insider
Communicating the Concerns of Black People

Thank you for the company wide layoffs
I am enjoying my new position as a cashier at 7-11
I didn't realize there were so many Slurpee flavors
I get to meet a lot of new people and they let me take the stale donuts home to the kids
Although it does present a challenge in my job search
The schedule is so unpredictable, I never know when I will have time to go out looking

Thank you for my NSF bank account
It may take me 6 months to clear my balance,
But, I am learning new and creative ways to pay the bills
Plus, now I know all the bank tellers by name
Although it does present a challenge in my job search
I didn't have any money to buy interview clothes, but found a new love for thrift stores

Thank you for my disconnected lights this July
We enjoyed those 3 weeks of candlelight dinners
However, it was unbearably hot during the North Texas summer days
Besides, it was a cooler than usual summer anyway, we only reached 107 most days
Most summers we get up around 110 during that time of the year, so we were grateful that the temperatures maintained a cool 95-99 most days
Which was ok because I was out job-hunting all day anyway
Plus, I lost 15 pounds in the process
The cold showers are very refreshing
Although it did present a challenge in my job search
I mismatched my shoes a couple of times while getting dressed in the dark
Not to mention I couldn't use my hair dryer or curling irons

Thank you for my phone getting cut off
I got to know my neighbors better
Although it did present a challenge in my job search
Prospective employers couldn't call me back

Thank you for eBay
If it wasn't for me hocking every small, mailable thing of value
I may never have been able to buy some of the school supplies my kids needed

Thank you for my friend, brother, cousin, classmate, and neighbor that were killed in Iraq
As much as it saddens my spirit, I have a new appreciation for the people around me that I have taken for granted in the past
Although it does present a challenge in my job search
I am often depressed and have to baby-sit for their widows on a regular basis 

Thank you for getting my car repo'ed
I didn't realize how many cool things there are to do in walking distance from my house
When the lights were cut off, we enjoyed some evenings at the library
It's so quiet and peaceful there
Not to mention, all that walking made for a good night's rest
Although it does present a challenge in my job search
I am limited to companies within walking distance and I live in a residential neighborhood
My town does not have a bus system

Thank you for the crackhead that stole my car and wrecked it
I may never have met that cute guy at the police station
He turned out to be married, but as luck would have it, his brother was the crackhead that stole my car in the first place
I got it back, but it did present a challenge in my job search
The passenger side was wrecked and the transmission was blown
Which made it an adventure to drive [never know when it will cut off] and an eyesore to park

Thank you for the $507 traffic citation I got
No insurance; haven't been able to cover my basic needs, let alone something frivolous like, oh say, lights, food, phone and car insurance
Inspection was expired because I failed the test due to a hole in the muffler
There's a lot of holes in my life right now
Lastly, the wonderful gentleman gave me a ticket for not wearing my glasses, which were broken during a job-search walk last week
Without medical insurance, new glasses are a low priority
But, it gave a greater appreciation for judicial system
Did I mention I was on the way to the employment office when I got the ticket?

Thank you for your incompetence
You have brought communities closer as we band together to make sure every citizen over the age of 18 is registered to vote
This election year should bring about voting in monumental numbers
Heck, I am even talking to 17 year-old high school seniors who will be 18 by Sept. 30
I am also carrying voter registration forms in my purse, along with pens, stamps, and envelopes

Thank you for raising my political awareness and concern
Before you came into the White House, I had no grasp on the trials and tribulations faced by our older generations during the depression
I read everything about politics I can get my hands on now
I'll be doggone before I live another 4 years of this crapola

Thank you for my foreclosure and eviction
I didn't realize just how many people could share a 2 bedroom apartment until me and my 3 kids moved in with my sister, her husband, and their 3 kids
We have found creative ways of sharing 2 beds and a couch
We have all learned so much about each other
What a joy it has been being so close... all the time
I have a greater appreciation for the old days when 3 generations used to share a home

Last but not least, thank you for breaking my spirit and removing my dignity
For, without that, I may not have started going back to church
I have a new focus on life and a new relationship with God
I'm reading scriptures on a regular basis, which has improved my memory, vocabulary and retention
You, GWB, have made me a better person... and I thank you