It's a privilege to be poor

Whilst on a flight to Abidjan, home to the 2024 African Cup of Nations, a breakout of chants and celebrations took place, initiated by the supporters of the Moroccan team, and soon spread to the other AFCON team supporters. This included the Cameroonians on board, the Senegalese and, of-course the Ivorian supporters.

The guys sat next to me sandwiching me into my window seat knew each other and we exchanged numerous courteous words to one another during our flight. Though all three of us were woken up from our naps by the cheering (and initially were not too pleased about it) the spirit was so infectious and we could not help but be amused by it all. After a while, they proceeded to join in (not me though, I’m too cool to appear to have fun in public).

The guy sitting furthest away from me in the isle seat, who I had spoken to the least, chimed in here and there, and as the patriotic cheers spread throughout the cabin, the curtains separating business and economy were opened so that they too could witness the goings on in economy.

Back to the guy furthers away from me, he joked “business class should not be allowed to watch! Close the curtains! Business class sit down” which I found hilarious, I’m a huge fan of heckling!

Now lets me preface this by saying that this was Royal Air Maroc, no shame to the airline, but I doubt a business class ticket would set anyone back too far financially, and I must acknowledge my own privilege at being able to pop myself on a flight at the start of the year, simply because I had enough of things back home in London, but the experience took on metaphorical meaning and got me thinking. What are some of the things that us "poor" people get to experience as a result of being poor?

Say the curtain of first class were physically unable to open or we were separated on different levels, they would not have been able to experience the joy and camaraderie that spontaneously took over our section of the cabin.

Economy/working class/ underprivileged are usually open to richness of culture that life has to offer, as we have less means to shelter away from it, so here are seven things that I think make you truly rich, if you are poor.

1). Learning things badly

Learning a new skill whilst poor often means learning with lesser resources. Mike Tyson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pelé, Viola Davis - the list goes on, all started from super humble beginnings and managed to create an ethos of dedication that turned them into some of the greatest athletes, actresses and personas of our time. Learning a skill with fewer resources can make you better at the skill in the long term, as you are picking up additional skills that will be put to good use once circumstances change.

Take driving for example, on a smaller budget, one is more likely to afford manual lessons, resulting in a manual license which puts you in the position to drive any car in pretty much any country with masterful control and understanding of the speed.

There are many things about the poor phenomenon that sets you up for success whilst building a deep sense of determination.

Think of something you're currently trying to pursue, and every now and again you get down trodden as you wish you had the means to train with the best or learn with the best or sit in the same rooms with the best. Take this as your sign to keep going, being poor can sometimes limit your opportunities, but your determination is a force that money cannot contest.

2). The power of appreciation

Once you get the thing you’ve longed for and worked really hard for you’re most likely to value and appreciate it more. Think about younger you saving your pocket money with hopes of owning that garment, or that toy or even that jawbreaker. Think back to the time your eyes lit up as younger you was finally presented with that thing and you were able to live out your dream for the day. Gratitude becomes a built-in feature when coming from a humbler beginning, you truly are grateful for what you have earned because there is contrast to your two states of having and not having.

You enjoy that reward more, knowing the sacrifices you made to get there. And maybe it's not even about money at all. Think of all the families that try years on end to conceive a child. Think of the surplus of love and yearning that is ready to overflow onto that precious new life once it arrives into this world. Think about those who have managed to land a job after a long stretch of unemployment filled with financial hardship or a cancer patient once they have received news that they are in the clear. I could go on and on with scenarios of nothings to somethings, but all end with a magnified sense of gratitude and a renewed outlook on life.

3). Spirituality/ intuition

Kanye West is worth $400 million and often refers to himself as a god. Elon Musk is work $246.6 Billion and sees it his job to create life-like robots and experiment with intergalactic living.

You are less likely to lean into the higher powers when your money affords you so much control of your worldly experiences (I think you need to read that again). Whilst the control is merely an illusion, we can not deny that being able to immediately change your circumstances will have you feeling like you are the playmaker of this game we call life. Often coming from less is the reason that one would reach out to a higher power as their means to acquire more and maintain this relationship as the human instinct is to crave more and more. And also you are more likely to search for your salvation in a realm that cannot house our living bodies and Elon and Kanye are less likely to believe that there is a paradise after this, knowing that they can pay for one right here.

Now, this has the potential to come off controversial, as the more I write, the more it feels like a manipulation tactic - to starve only some financially so that all they can do is yearn for salvation that may or may not exist. But I want you, the reader, to consider this. If you are religious or spiritual, think of how much peace you have found when turning to your maker. Think of all the times your heart overflowed with emotions that you could not divulge to even the most skilled therapist, but you surrendered those feelings to a higher power and as if by magic there was a shift in your life (turn to your neighbour and say TESTIMONY). And what about when you had that sinking feeling in your stomach that foreshadowed you were about to make a terrible decision, and you listened (or you didn't, no judgement here). These things cannot be explained by science, surrendering to a higher power takes a level of humility that perhaps a certain bank balance cannot sustain, but I'm glad that I always get to finish these posts of with "that's just my opinion", because this won't resonate with everyone but this is what I have observed so far.

4). Food

Sorry not sorry, but the culture of wealth has not brought about good food. I've been fortunate enough to dine with the wealthy and humble enough to have dined with the poor, and i'd take street food over posh-nosh any day of the week. In my experience, good food comes from lack of (lack of ingredients, lack of resources etc.) and then the necessity (to eat) fused with creativity and what is available to build the rest. Ox tail, Pig feet, Chicken Back, Cow foot, Corned beef - just a few dishes from the Caribbean that were inspired by the parts of the animal that were left over from the rich cuts of meat, which have become worldwide delicacies, known for both their great taste and health benefits! Did you know that the rich heritage of heavy seasoning and flavours came from an effort to make a meal out of rotten remains?

I can only imagine that this was hell at first, but boy am I grateful for my ancestor's perseverance, because what a privilege it is to eat for survival and the enjoyment of taste.

Take this observation as you will, and I will keep it brief and potentially add to it more at a later date, but think about how creative you get with your meals when it's the last week till pay day!

5). Health

Not everyone can afford western medicine, and not everyone believes that the western sciences are the only way to achieve good health.

The Cherokee, the Mayans, the Yanomami, the Innu, and the Matsésm - all renowned for their belief and use of natural remedies. I'm a big believer that the earth is home to everything that the human body needs, and research and understanding of what our home planet grows is a key to our healing. So if you had limited access to western health care, you are most likely to draw for these natural healers. I'm pretty sure everyones grandma has the sworn cure for a common cold, whether that's the perfect chicken soup recipe or the Garlic, Honey, Ginger and Lemon tea. All this is to say is that a reliance on what is natural most probably has the best benefits for the body, (depending on the ailment) especially where cure is the ultimate goal. I've not checked the stats and I've not done the research, but a hunch of mine is that modern medicine treats the symptoms but not always the cause. In any case, we've got to give a big shout out the power of natural healing.

And not to negate that statistically people from lower income backgrounds are most likely to live in more polluted/ populated areas. In the UK, mould in houses is becoming a silent killer amongst young families living in council estates, but another thing that just came to mind, is that you are further in proximity to things that may have delayed health implications.

I'll touch on this in a later point, but think of all the fads; the ones that spring to mind are cosmetic procedures: lip fillers, Botox; dare I say it, Vaping? Practices where there is not yet enough medical research to justify their long term effects on the body and brain. Sometimes lack or less is a barrier between you and good health.

6). Culture & people

As mentioned in the intro, a big part of being poor is that you are at the mercy of well-everything. Exclusivity and safety become a privilege that many simply cannot afford.

Providing you are safe, however (a privilege that I wish was afforded to everyone) the doors of this world are truly open to you in terms of what you are able to learn and experience via other people. You're eager to share who you are - your culture, and just as eager to learn about the practises of others.

You share the dinner table with different tribes, you learn their language, you fall in love with their music, you laugh at the jokes that are more funny considering their context, you cry at their history and cheer for their emancipation. And before you know it, you have experienced a cultural exchange that has expanded your mind and heart in an authentic way.

Yes, rich people are known to go backpacking and soul searching, we're still cringing over the photo of "Paris Hilton kissing not pregnant lady" (yes you can search this up and find the photo), but is this a cultural exchange as much as it is a curated image of giving back that will ultimately be expressed through an instagram caption of how "grateful" they are to be the opposite of their humbler counterparts? If I sound bias it's because I am, idk.

But, you reading this (brokey) are more open, you now have a better understanding of who you are through learning about others and you are open to repeat these exchanges with different people, to continue the expansion cycle.

Sometimes I think that experiences like this fly under the radar of what is truly important in this life, elite exclusive groups have become the trend, and it's cool to exclude, but how flipping-boring is it to live life under the assumption that the rest of the world resembles your bubble. I cant help but imagine what a bland picture that paints of the multifaceted earth and its offering.

All I know is this, I can converse with anyone and accept and appreciate them (maybe not Cannibals though, not sure if I'm all the way ready to accept that) for all that is different to me and that makes me rich!

7). Relationships

This generation has brought forth many great technological advancements, and with that - epic effects to our ability to form meaningful relationships. We are fighting against the appearance of, vs the reality of. Social media being the main culprit, usually depicts both plutonic and romantic relationships as an instant-gratification-or-break-up, kinda vibe.

If there was no insta/ social media brainwashing you to think that money equals love; co-dependancy equals love; toxic relationship is better than just staying single; you would know of the real foundations in which love is build upon. Don't let social media fool you. Yes, your favourite influencer is showcasing the flowers her partner bought her, or the car or the apartment, or the engagement ring-damn-it- but he's also relentless cheating on her and doesn't even know her favourite colour, okay? Now I'm no expert on love, but I'm learning. Here are my fundamentals of fostering a real relationship, plutonic and romantic:

• Mutual respect (this is free)

• Trust (this is free but takes a lot of precious time to build and maintain)

• Shared values (this is free)

• Willingness to communicate (say it with me, this is free)

• Peace of mind (this is free in theory, but priceless in actuality)

• Chemistry (you know the lyrics to this song, sing it with me.. this is???)

I hope you enjoyed reading!