Essential Workers Have the Right to Be Mad
There’s more to feel than optimism right now
This piece was taken from my an episode of my new podcast on feelings about money, The Poor Me Podcast. If you would prefer to listen, go here.
Essential workers have the right to be pissed off right now. But it feels like the larger culture doesn’t want to be angry. We want to be hopeful, we want to be optimistic — all of which are good things — but we need to also allow our full spectrum of feelings. We’re human, after all. It’s OK to be frustrated, to be scared, to have negative feelings.
Especially about going to work. Going to do your job. You go to a grocery store like you may have done for the past five years, and all of a sudden, you’re at risk. Your life is at risk. Of course you’re going to be angry.
Let’s try to accept the fact that anger is a part of this process. Sure, there are lot of ads showing us a kumbayah, virtual-hand-holding version of reality, but I, personally, am pissed.
We can be angry and optimistic at the same time
And I’m not even an essential worker. I stay home, and I’m pretty lucky in that regard. But I’m still pissed off. It might be controversial to say, but whatever. It turns out you can be hopeful and angry…
