Current Affairs: November 2005 Archives

With all this Brooklyn squabbling over who deserves to have an attitude-free pint of beer in the neighborhood, I thought I'd turn the tables on the lovely materialism I got to witness yesterday in midtown. I was waiting for my takeout order in a mostly empty restaurant when I overheard two people talking, a mid 20-something girl and guy, not extravagantly dressed or particularly amazing looking. The girl was explaining how she had recently updated her resume and was considering applying for a new job that she was really excited about. I was only half-listening when she dropped the bomb. "I'm not even sure that they'd offer me $100,000 and I can't live on that--it's like half of what I make now. I mean, I have my apartment and my shopping ... I guess I could cut down on shopping a little bit. Yeah, I think I'd have to ask my parents for help." <<jaw dropping>> At that moment, I couldn't think of anything more revolting than hearing someone conclude that their parents would have to help them to survive in the city if they made a little less than $100,000.