Dear Dr. Hardman:
I hate being poor almost as much as you hate me for being poor. Oh, please spare me whosever dogma you regurgitate to yourself about equality or hard work or socialism or lovingkindness; the way you laughed in my face, the expression on your face, your tone of voice, the words you used, and your physical stance…I’m pretty sure you’d have liked to prescribe me a glassful of bleach before bed if you were able. Funny enough, I’d have liked to have gone home and had a glassful of bleach after spending time with you.
You see, the reason I hate being poor is not what you might think. It’s not the things that money can buy me that I want, it’s the way people treat you when they believe you are a valuable human being because you have money. How could a poor, uneducated person like me know anything about that? I’m so glad you asked! I wasn’t always poor. People, even doctors such as yourself, used to believe I was a real person who hurt and loved just like them. Then the economy got bad and my husband lost his job…and we lost our ranch. Then the drought got worse and other people lost their jobs…and we lost our business. Then, when it felt like nothing was getting better regardless of how hard we worked, we sold everything we owned and moved halfway across the country for the opportunity of a better life. A chance to rebuild. And a chance to give more to our children. Yes, we are poor, but we were also willing to give up everything we’ve ever known in the paradise of California near our families and in communities we’ve been a part of and contributed to for our entire lives in exchange for more job opportunities and a lower cost of living.
I’m hurt because I’m not the lifelong loser junkie as I felt I was treated. I’m angry because, even if I were a lifelong loser junkie, people shouldn’t be treated that way at all. And while my hurt and anger in my situation, with you and with my life as it is now, may bring to mind thoughts of drinking bleach, I know that there is still plenty left to accomplish in this world. I can still grow and achieve and hope to do good in a world that otherwise, frankly, sucks a lot of the time. And while my hurt and anger in my encounter with you may bring to mind thoughts of wishing you to go drink bleach, I hold out hope that you also will find more to accomplish in this world and continue to grow and achieve. Except, maybe you could search your soul and find that it is not more education or money that will make you more valuable as a person, but compassion, understanding, and an ability to treat people like human beings even when you believe they are less than then you. They aren’t.
Sincerely,
A Patient
It doesn’t matter which one because I suspect you treat many of your patients (and probably a lot of the other staff) in the same manner.
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