Living in POVERTY in This Ultra-Advanced and Ultra-Modern Time

Yup, it's a reality all urbanites must face these days, and it's all over the news everywhere. I'm no different and as badly affected as any man on the street. Even worse for me, being a highly qualified graduate is not of much help either, I'm a PAUPER TO THE BOOT! This stark realisation of reality hit me about one year ago as I was at the pharmacy wanting to purchase my regular brand of dental floss. The price of my regular brand of dental floss shot up by RM 2.00 for a 50-metre pack, from RM 6.50 to RM 8.50! And this price hike was totally uncalled for!

Rubbing salt to the already bleeding wound, dental floss DOES NOT go cheap like many other consumables during the sale season. For quite a while, I was facing a difficult situation trying to find quality dental floss that is reasonably priced and at the same time, stretching my buckeroos as far as they could possibly go. A challenge in which can ABSOLUTELY be mind-boggling!

Not helping with the skyrocketing cost of living are the prices of basic necessaties, i.e. food and clothing. And one thing that doesn't skyrocket is my salary, the amount I earn has categorised me as an URBAN POOR. Looks like I'm expected to live on fresh and sunlight by the way things are going. Not that I'm not trying to stretch my buckeroos long enough, but I'm just NOT EARNING NEARLY ENOUGH just to support myself.

It gets very depressing every time when I take a look at my payslip. I can't help but shake my head in sadness at the fact I'm earning peanuts! I'm VERY SURE there are many people around me are facing the same predicament. Yup, we can have all the first class infrastructure and facilities but the mentality is NO WHERE in par with these infrastructure and facilities. Ultra-advanced and ultra-modern time has dawned upon us but NOT necessarily making life any easier for many men on the street. Most people from the working class are finding it EXTREMELY TOUGH to make ends meet.

Even for an unmarried person like myself without many commitments are finding it extremely challenging to manage the finances based on the peanuts of a salary I'm earning. It's so mind-boggling to the extent that I wonder if I'm ever going to make it in life at all. Not that I'm choosy in getting a job but employers just DO NOT understand that the salary they pay to their workers are just NOT ENOUGH to live on. Yeah, I know they also have to balance the finances of the organisations they lead but HELLO, the workers are in need of a decent salary as one of the MAIN motivation to contribute WELL to the organisation they are working for! The decent salary they get would be able to allow the workers to achieve some financial stability in life, and hopefully the goals that they can only dream of.

Most people would be happy to make some sacrifices for the organisation they work for provided when the employers show some appreciation and gratitude to the contributions of their respective employees. I'm QUITE SURE most employers have gone through the rank and file process in order get to where they are as a leader of an organisation today. Unless they are born into a family-run organisation where the silver spoon is already in their mouths.

How many of us working class people are lucky enough to be at the top of the organisational hierarchy? Not many, I suppose. Those that were lucky enough to be at the top of the organisational hierarchy are usually not very empathic with the plight of their workers. I'm saying this from my own experience as a normal office worker as well as a manager, and so far I never had the luck to have a boss helping me to make a break in my career. One very valuable lesson I have learned from all my bosses though..... is to never be like them!