What is a dollar to YOU?

I was reading market news online and of all the things, I came across this story of a 52 year old woman plunging from the middle class to near poverty: I make $6.50 an hour. Am I poor?. Just for context, I am going through my third major flu this season and under such circumstances, I find myself deeply introspective, maybe even a little meditative to some extent. Probably its because of the extra time I have on my mind since otherwise I am always trying to be "productive" at any given time of the day, and sometimes even at night. Couple that with my natural tendency to ponder endlessly on every thought under the sun and we are in business.

What struck me about the article was not how Karen is poor, there are millions like her, but the fact that she wouldnt let go of her pride, wouldnt be ashamed of being poor and to quote herself:

I no longer define myself by what I do for a living. On the flip side, I won't base my identity on my income.

and

For Thanksgiving, I helped cook dinner at the home of the same couple I've shared the holiday with for five years. I looked at their kitchenware and wished I still had my own. Then I realized I was feeling sorry for myself.

When work at the restaurant is slow and I have time to feel the pain in my back, arms, feet and hands, I try not to think about what will happen if health problems mean I can't work. There's no sense in indulging such worries.

I dont mean to be dramatic, but one cant help contrasting this with ones own lifestyle and also this consumerist nightmare aka holiday season in progress. I happened to visit a mall the other day and was literally nauseated after a while thanks to the cornucopia of products screaming all around and the mass psychological frenzy revelling in it.

My last months credit card statement balance, and this is just on one of the cards, is well above 1k. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to pay such an amount in full every month. Most of the expenses are "lifestyle related", expensive service of my overpriced car, expensive beer/wine in microbreweries and such, a lot of expensive dine outs, expenses related to a baby shower we organized where half the food was thrown away and some needless shopping at the mall, just to accessorize myself better (its the holiday season after all!).

Well I certainly don't intend a waldenesque lifestyle or socialism for that matter, but still I feel shallow today. Crazy world, this.