Why Children in Poverty Repeat the Cycle
The hearts and minds of small children are delicate organs, and this is especially true in the case of babies born into poverty. Constant neediness eventually gets the better of the child, becoming meddlesome to the heart and mind. As the child grows older, the organs are easily galled and anguished by the most mundane things.
By their teenage years, the fear of uncertainty dims the clarity of thought as the child steadily loses a stake in the future. Grasping for salvation, the child will resort to the undisciplined pursuit of a quick solution. A child might turn to fighting as a way to gain respect, or to drugs as an escape from the real world. A chronic shortage of cash may cause the child to drop-out of school or turn to crime. The heart and mind surrenders to the need for gratification.
As they grow into adults, they are positioned to remain in the poverty class. The pattern of behavior tends to mirror that of their parents—a constant struggle for survival, unemployment, low wages, a miscellany of unskilled occupations, a chronic shortage of cash, the absence of food reserves in the home, pawning personal goods, borrowing from anyone who would loan money, and use of second-hand clothing and furniture.
As a parent, the cycle is repeated as perceived failure fuels internalized oppression, which plays itself out in violence and put-downs. The parent unwittingly holds their children back from reaching their potential, just as their parents did before them.
About the author: Douglas Wallace is an attorney, a successful entrepreneur and a published author. His book launched nationwide on October 1, 2009 titled, Everything Will Be All Right, is an engaging memoir about the riveting journey of a child desperately seeking to escape the vicious cycle of poverty. In December 2009, the memoir won the prestigious Indie Bound Next List Notable Award in the best non-fiction category. Book awards are chosen by a majority of votes from members of the American Book Sellers Association. The book can be purchased on the Internet at Amazon.
This article really deserves serious attention. It addresses exactly how the impoverished class self-destructs generation after generation. We are all born with hearts and minds that want to do good and perform well. Mr. Wallace poses the question, “How do we save the hearts and minds of kids from their own role models?” There IS an answer.
Excellent point. Your message hits upon the very basic problem we as a country need to solve! Our children are our future!
Marsha
What a great article. I agree that this is a message that needs to reach the masses. Now!
I have not read the book. I know the man. Spent some early adult years in my presence. Never knew anyone as focused and driven as DWW. Always humble,genuine,and caring with an appreciation for everything he had accomplished. Not in the least surprised that he has become the man he is.
Doug,
Thanks so much for the kind remarks. WOW! How quickly time passes. How long has it been since we saw each other? 35 Years? I hope and pray that you are doing well and enjoying life at its fullest. Best, Doug