For me, being poor was drinking Kool-Aid out of Fred Flintstone jelly jar glasses at the dinner table and wearing clothes purchased at the Salvation Army or Goodwill. Wearing ugly clothes was embarrassing, but as uncomfortable as I was, I thought of it as a "Badge of Courage." If I can wear ugly clothes that don't even fit, and still conduct myself with honor, then I have learned to be who I really am. It's character building. Even as a child, I knew I was better than my clothes.
So, there is something to be said for the minimallist lifestyle. It was fun to have all belongings and furniture from the second-hand store. If we broke something, we didn't get in trouble because we owned nothing of value.
One day, my sister, Mary Dolores, and I were playing catch in the livng room when I missed and the ball hit the lamp behind me sending it crashing to the floor. My Dad, Earl Madden, picked up the pieces and took what was left of the lamp to the garage. He came running back into the house yelling: Play Ball!"
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