Hello, friends of Project HOPE, I hope you're well. A few days ago, I started thinking about something we sometimes overlook, but which is very real: that very thin line between poverty and the middle class. I'm referring to that line that many believe they have clearly crossed, but which is actually drawn in chalk, and at the first downpour... it's erased.
Let me explain. There are people who today have jobs, pay rent, have their groceries, can even go out to eat on the weekends, and if you ask them, they say they're middle class. But what happens if tomorrow they lose their job? Can they endure three months without income? Or do they start selling things in the first month to eat? Because that's the real difference. It's not just about what you earn today, but how prepared you are to withstand the unexpected.
I've seen cases of people who looked "good," who even wore designer clothes and owned motorcycles, but all it took was for them to be laid off and in less than two months they were already borrowing to pay for utilities.
And mind you, this isn't about judging, because most aren't in that situation because they're irresponsible, but because the system is designed to make you live paycheck to paycheck. If you earn a little more than the minimum wage, you think you've gotten out of the hole, but with those same 2 million (in Colombian pesos, which is about 500 US dollars), you're hanging on by your fingernails.
And that's the rub. In Colombia, and in many Latin American countries, the middle class is an illusion. It's a tightrope, and anything can break it. An accident, an illness, losing your job, and you're on the other side. That's why it's so important to talk about this, because as long as we think we're doing well just because we can pay today, we won't demand fundamental changes.
So if you're one of those who thinks you're middle class just because you're not starving today, think again. And what about tomorrow? Because real stability isn't just having something; it's being able to sustain yourself even if things change. I send you a hug, and as always, we'll keep talking.
