The Middle Class Matrix

Summary: Chapter 1 Jack and Jill sat at the kitchen table and looked into each others eyes and thought about what had just happened. They sat there and waited for their daughter. You see, Jack and Jill were just your average couple. Even though they would never achieve the finer things in life and even though they would probably never be able to travel the world and live their dreams, it was ok, because they had true love. Suddenly, in walked their 10-year old daughter, Janice. She...

Chapter 1 Jack and Jill sat at the kitchen table and looked into each others eyes and thought about what had just happened. They sat there and waited for their daughter. You see, Jack and Jill were just your average couple. Even though they would never achieve the finer things in life and even though they would probably never be able to travel the world and live their dreams, it was ok, because they had true love. Suddenly, in walked their 10-year old daughter, Janice. She smiled. They smiled. They really loved their daughter. She was beautiful. She immediately took their minds off of the conversation they had just had. She was so young, so innocent, and so pure. She sat down at the table: Janice: So, you wanted to see me? Jack: Janice, we need to have a talk. Jill: Yes, Janice. We had a talk with your school teacher Mrs. Cage yesterday. She told us that you are EXTRAORDINARY! But she also told us that sometimes you don't sit still and pay attention. Sometimes you seem to be in a dream world. Janice: Yeah, I know. I hate that stupid class! I don't see what any of that stuff has to do with me! I'm just not interested! I just wanna do something fun! Jack: Janice, I know how you feel. I felt that way as a child also. Listen Janice, me and your mother love you so much. And we want you to have a better life than what we have now. That's why we have to tell you this. I know that you want to be free to do the things you want, but you have to look to the future. You need to get good grades in school now. That way you can get into a good college. Then you can get a good education so that you can get a good job! I know that may seem harsh, but you'll understand when you get older. Janice: Okay. I understand. Janice walked back to her room rolling her eyes. Deep down inside, in her inner being, she felt like something was wrong with what her parents had just told her. It wasn't that she was lazy and didn't want to learn or be educated, it was just... Something was just... wrong! But she thought to herself "My parents know best. Chapter 2 Eight years later Janice accepted her high school diploma. She was glad that she had taken her parents advice. She had learned to focus in her class. She had already been accepted into Good College University and was well on her way to getting the best education. After a couple of years, Janice decided to move off campus. The dorm was okay, but she needed to be independent. She moved in with a roommate to keep costs down and got a part-time J.O.B. Janice was really encased in her studies and really didn't have time to work that much, nor try to figure out who she really was. Having a job and going to school can be a bit much. To compound the problem, she hated her job. The people were rude, the managers where stuck-up and the atmosphere was bad. Yet, she had to smile in peoples faces all day and pretend that she liked it. She couldn't wait until she graduated so that she could go work for somebody else! Then one day she got a letter in the mail from the BS Bank of America, offering her a $5,000 YourMaster credit card. As broke as she was, she gladly accepted it. Janice would always see her friends going out, shopping and having fun. But with a part-time job she could only do so much. Her parents couldn't give her a lot of spending money because they had bills of their own. Janice had had the same clothes now for a year and this had to be stopped! After all, these were supposed to be the best years of her life. She knew that she couldn't really afford to run her credit card bill up, but she thought to herself, "Well, what am I supposed to do? I can't walk around looking like a scrub all the time. Especially with my low self-esteem! I have to be SEEN with Fresh Gear! So, Janice went along accumulating credit card bills and student loans, having a good time, not really understanding what was happening. One night when she went out to a club, she saw John. She had gone to high school with him. He looked cute to her. They struck up a conversation and talked the whole night. Isn't it funny how you can know somebody for so long, never realizing what was meant to be? They fell in strong like, and then in love and they knew that they would get married. By the time Janice reached graduation at Good College, she had run up over $10,000 on credit. Chapter 3 Jill sat in the bleachers crying uncontrollably as her daughter, Janice, walked across the stage. She knew that this meant freedom for her daughter. Janice already had a J.O.B. waiting for her when she graduated. She soon married John and they rode off into the sunset! They immediately fell into the abyss of bliss, and a child was conceived. Nine months later, they named her Joyce. They knew as soon as they saw her that she was something EXTRAORDINARY. They would eventually have two more children. Janice's parents would eventually get a divorce. The new couple, fresh out of college, was making more money than they had ever seen! Janice was making a lot more than her parents did. Janice and John both bought new cars now that they could afford them. After a couple of years, they decided to buy a house and build wealth. Janice and John stopped by BS Bank to get a loan. Chapter 4 John: Excuse me, Mr. Oversear? Mr. Oversear: Yes, come right in! Janice: Yes, I saw an advertisement on the BS webpage that I could get a $200,000 loan for $700/month. Mr. Oversear: Ok, well, let me have your social. Ok