“Can’t Afford to Breathe: Stories from the Working Class and Still Dreaming”
“We are not lazy. We are exhausted. And still, we dream.”
In an age where billionaires race to space and groceries eat half a paycheck, being working-class isn’t just a financial category—it’s a state of constant survival. Many of us are living one emergency away from collapse, yet we’re still told to just “work harder” or “budget better.” But what happens when the system isn’t broken—just working exactly as it was designed to?
This post isn’t a lecture. It’s a collection of truths. Stories from those who clock in while sick, who budget in minutes not months, who juggle side gigs and still can’t afford rent—but somehow still hold onto poetry, passion, and the quiet rebellion of hope.
Living in the Cracks of the System
Being working-class means making do, again and again, with less than enough. It means mastering the art of “stretching,” of turning Top Ramen into dinner for three, of working full-time and being asked why you don’t own a house.
According to Pew Research, the majority of Americans identify as middle or working class—but the line between survival and collapse gets thinner every year.
We see this clearly in the disabled and chronically ill community, where being unable to work full-time often means living in deep poverty. For LGBTQ+ people, especially Black and Brown trans folks, wage gaps and discrimination stack the odds even higher.
And yet—we’re still here. Still creating. Still dreaming.
We’re Not Lazy, We’re Burned Out
There’s a cultural narrative that suggests people struggling financially just didn’t work hard enough. But that erases the millions of working-class individuals who work multiple jobs, care for family members, battle mental health or disability, and still don’t get ahead.
This toxic productivity mindset ignores systemic oppression, and it’s especially damaging for neurodivergent folks. When executive dysfunction, trauma, or burnout make “doing more” impossible, shame creeps in. But survival is labor. Rest is not a luxury—it’s a right.
🎥 Watch:
“What If We Radically Reimagined Work?” by Devon Price (TEDx)
This talk dives into how workism and ableism intersect—and what freedom could look like for all of us.
Still Dreaming: Creativity as Resistance
Even when our lungs feel tight with the weight of inflation, rent, and burnout, we still dream. Writing, painting, organizing, storytelling—these aren’t luxuries. They’re survival tools.
When we tell our stories, especially from the margins, we say: We exist. We matter. We refuse to be erased.
If you’ve ever felt like your dreams were “too much” because you were “too broke” to afford them—know that art has always grown in the cracks. Some of the world’s most powerful movements began with working-class storytellers.
What You Can Do (Even if You’re Tired)
Write your truth, even if it’s just a sentence.
Support mutual aid efforts like The Okra Project or Trans Lifeline.
Share the stories of others living this truth.
Rest without guilt. You’re not a machine.
Final Word: We’re Still Breathing
We might not have retirement plans. We might be behind on rent. But we are still here. Still breathing, even if it costs us everything. And if we’re breathing, we’re still dreaming. That’s where the revolution begins
Stay Connected
If this resonated with you, consider subscribing to Ink & Identity or go to the contact page, Let’s uplift each other.
Follow me on Instagram for regular updates, resources, and encouragement from a trans, neurodivergent writer who knows what it means to write from the margins—and still choose joy. Ink-Stained Thoughts is where I bleed quietly on purpose.
writingelite.wordpress.com: writing elite is a website that addresses family topics of all sorts, I post on there once a month.
Comments
Post a Comment