We all do it. Almost every day, in some way, we work for money. The more you make, the more freedom you have.
Sometimes, though, you might see someone who really earns, what ain’t much, for things that seem demeaning in a slum or ghetto setting, that is only a part of the world, but it’s where i have been. Having done all sorts of jobs for little in wages, but a lot of physical discomfort, appearing the fool, not necessarily for what i had to wear or behave as, but, more like, the supidity of watching, something like your blood pour out on a job site or location.
They are called “wavers” and only appear at tax season.
He seems pretty enthused and was dancing his tail off this day. His company is willing to operate in the poorest sections of cities, where other tax services don’t go.
The “wavers” are used by the company everywhere, and, apparently, by all types, many of whom, make the most of it in a fairly positive way.
I should get out of the ghetto more. I might have ended up calling this placard racism, but that’s just an echo picked up by my common sense. In fact human billboardiing has been around a long time. And, like a hell of a lot of low-pay jobs, all the exploitation is built-in.
Nevertheless, it’s cold as hell and there’s tons of snow on the ground in January, and this guy is not enthused. Done worse, to myself, to get by – bad enough to forget about it – and that’s what he looks like he would rather do.
No job for old men, who have already done what they have to do.
Morris, from the Bronx, in Times Square, making a living flicking folks up for five bucks a pop. This is more my style of street work, at least, one i can relate to.
Selling pictures, cigarettes, soda, beer and a night out are ways to get by, just as human billboarding is, or anything that we all do because we have to, or even want to do it, but we all do it.
We have a lot of freedoms that function better according to amount of earnings. Starting at the bottom, this can take a long time, with many risks along the way.
More buzzwords – food desert, environmental racism, food insecurity or the geography of racism – to describe the same old thing – being poor – ain’t gonna help the poor, as much as, perhaps, an artist-activist discovering their own truth. The language changes, in hopes things will be seen differently, or refreshed.
But it’s a dance we all do, for the most part, god knows, i done mine. But let’s keep pumping identity politics and, if it’s “Marxist” it began to ignore class and strictly focus on race, gender and identity politics, a long time ago.
All those freedoms that even the common individual gets born into as an American, become far more attainable, the more money one makes at one’s own liberty dance.
In addition to waving, dancing is also encouraged. A nearby office provides snacks, beverages and shelter if needed. The tax service goes where no other will, into the poorest sections of cities.
I did mobile billbording in Manahttan for one year to make money. For myself, it was probably the most monotonous work i’ve done, and the level of embarassment was pretty bad, not to mention messing up the environment with more traffic, congestion and distraction.
In this case, it’s human billboarding combined with costume and expressionistic dance. What can i say? I still can’t be the judge, no matter what.
While others do, like Marjorie Greene, clogging actual history, with her performance art, one of which was comparing the yellow Jewish stars that the Nazis created, to wearing masks during a pandemic. On the other hand, the knee-jerk leftie response might equate this with coloinialism, racism or some other ism.
The unifying factor being, neither perspective is based on experience.