What would it look like if folks who are stable in their financial situation were able to share the feelings of those who struggled to make ends meet? What if those who live paycheck to paycheck with no savings, friends, or family members to help out when things got tight were seen and understood by those with the privilege of stable finances? Would it change things if we were able to put ourselves in another person’s economic shoes?

Josephine was on her way to pick up her paycheck and hit a pothole. The older model car she drove had balding tires and when she hit the pothole, the front and rear passenger tires went flat. She pulled to the side of the road and surveyed the scene, and immediately began to cry. Josephine had no money to repair the tires, nor did she have money to jump on the bus to go and pick up her check. This was in the days before everyone could afford a cell phone, so there was no easy way for Josephine to call someone for help. She began the one-hour walk to pick up her paycheck.

Josephine was able to pick up her paycheck but arrived at the bank a few minutes after it closed so they wouldn’t let her in, which meant she had to walk to the check cashing place to cash her check. The line was long and they had to verify her identification because it was her first time at this particular place. She finished cashing her check and then got on the bus to go pick up her kids from school, for which she was already late. By the time she got to the school, the teacher and principal had called social services because they didn’t know why she was so late. By this time, Josephine was exhausted and frazzled and spoke harshly to the teacher and raised her voice at her kids. The social service workers then let her know that they would be opening an official inquiry, which meant time at court, days taken off from work, and possible fines or, worst of all, her kids could be taken from her. This whole situation cost Josephine extra time and money, not to mention she still had to get two tires for her car. This caused her to be short on some bills that month and have to pay late fees to catch up. In addition, she had to manage the emotional strain of dealing with social services and teachers treating her differently. I obviously changed the name in this story, and I share this with permission, but this is just one example of how one simple thing in a person’s life who lives on the edge economically can cause life to fall apart.

There are many Josephines around us, and simple things that are a mere irritant for some are devastating for just as many. Empathy means we try to feel what others are feeling and perhaps put ourselves in their place. Empathizing around finances seems to be a difficult place for many. Imagining our lives falling apart from a flat tire is hard to fathom, yet we live in a world where it happens to people every day. Questions of judgment come up more easily than empathy for many: why is she driving with bald tires? Why doesn’t she have savings? Can she find a better Job? Didn’t she have a friend to call? Why didn’t she call the school? The questions of judgment come fast and furious, taking us out of the place to feel with others, especially when we’re talking about money. Perhaps we should take more time to feel with them, and just maybe the systems that create the Josephines will be influenced to change.