hang there as he shifted in his seat.
“I didn’t grow up wealthy by any means, but I guess you could say I grew up middle class.”
“In a nice neighborhood?” she pushed.
“It was a decent neighborhood in Philadelphia.”
“That’s my point. I didn’t grow up in a neighborhood like that. I grew up in a low-income area where crime and poverty went hand in hand. I understand a lot of people think only minorities or only huge cities have problems with money and equality. The fact is that the highest poverty rate is that of single mothers of all races and backgrounds. Out of the eleven and a half percent of poverty-stricken US residents, twenty-five percent are single-parent households with no husband present. I fell into that class even though my mother worked hard.”
Carl stared at her for several moments before speaking again. He was obviously being careful with his words. She appreciated it. That was another discussion she didn’t have too often. No one would take her seriously anyway when she was wearing two-thousand-dollar shoes or carrying a five-thousand-dollar briefcase. They’d call her privileged and think she had no idea what she was talking about. They wouldn’t take the time to look at her past, to see how hard she’d had to work to get to where she was now.
“How did you get out of it?” he asked.
Now she smiled for real. “I had a mother who wouldn’t allow me to settle. She pushed me hard to read, and not just for fun, but to read to actually absorb the material, to do extra schoolwork and educate myself out of the slums. And then I pushed myself. I took extra classes and I received scholarships. I worked real jobs from the time I was old enough, and I didn’t spend money on frivolous items. I saved every dime I made for when I went to college. I gave up pretty dresses and the latest gadgets and phones. I saved and saved and saved, and then I went to college. Instead of going to parties or taking classes like trampoline and bowling, I took extra science and math courses. I studied and I pushed myself. I wasn’t going to be a victim of circumstance.”
“Most people don’t have that drive,” he told her.
“I agree. But I also don’t respect those who cry about what they don’t have when they aren’t willing to work hard to get it,” she said a bit more sharply than she wanted.
“What about those who are disabled?” he asked.
She sighed. “If there is anyone out there who thinks we shouldn’t take care of the elderly, disabled, or young, they aren’t worth having a conversation with. But those who want more in life can’t just hope for a magic fairy to wave a wand; they have to work hard. That means an education, a job, and making sacrifices. In the long run, giving up something like the latest pair of Miss Me jeans is worth it because later you can have a career and buy a two-thousand-dollar pair of shoes,” she said with a smile. She really did have a thing for shoes.
“That we can both agree on,” he said with a chuckle. “Except the shoes. I think spending that much on shoes is simply insane.”
“I bet you spend money on other things I’d find frivolous. We all have our things.”
He shrugged. “I do have a thing for cars,” he admitted.
“Most men do.” She sighed again, getting off her soapbox. “I know everyone has their own story. I know some have had a much rougher life than others. But I believe anyone can do anything if they want it bad enough to work hard for it. I also believe the poor are generally treated badly. My uncle was convicted when he shouldn’t have been. If he’d come from a fancy neighborhood and hadn’t had a bunch of tattoos, he’d have been looked at differently. I get so sick of people making judgments based on people’s appearance, status in life, or color of skin. Why don’t we judge people by their actions instead?”
“I agree fully with that,” he said. “I’m sorry about your uncle.”
“Me too. That’s what led me to defense law. But I can’t excuse it anymore. I can’t justify it. I can say I believed in my last client the entire time I defended him, but I’d be lying. I knew he was a monster. I knew he’d do it again . . . and I still fought to