OCCUPY STUDENT DEBT

I owe about $70K. Don’t know whether this is allowed, but I’d made a video about my own experience w/student loan debt. It’s embarrassing, but my life is ruined anyway, so I figured, what do I have to lose? When I suffer, I just turn that into art.

I get attacked by some people who accuse me of making the “wrong” choices or not working hard enough. In fact, I DID work all throughout college, but like most students, I didn’t even earn enough to support myself adequately in my low-paying job much less pay for my college tuition. The loans were a part of my “financail aid” package. I’d researched scholarships. There weren’t any. I also overcame tremendous obstacles to go to college and graduated with honors—worked very hard for that too. I rarely “partied” while in school & worried about money the entire time I studied. I didn’t continue for a Masters degree ‘cause I’d already accumulated so much debt only to discover that a BA doesn’t mean much anymore out in the job market.

My entire youth was spent living in or near poverty and struggling, so I never really had a chance to be young. Looks like that’ll never end until I get lucky and find a way out of the USA. (Sorry, but I’d rather live in a part of the world that is democratic and humane.)

I happen to be a very talented writer, musician and filmmaker and I could have made a wonderful contribution to society if I’d been given a chance. Now, I’m just struggling to survive and with occasional bouts of futile political activism.

My blog is here, in case the video isn’t allowed: www.TheMadBagLady.wordpress.com

And if the blog isn’t allowed either, oh well… Maybe I’ll get a pic one of these days.

Thanks for listening/reading.