I did feel she was complaining a bit much, as I also felt when she complained about the guy who gave her the Jesus card. On the other hand, a close friend very recently told me, essentially, that I am not a very sympathetic person, and my reaction was pretty much "Yeah, that's fair," so that's coming in through here too of course.

These people are extremely annoying, belittling, and condescending.

Throughout this same time period, my mom worked in a small local diner. I don't know how many people know this, but waitresses don't make minimum wage, they make about $3-4 an hour here in Illinois. We LIVED on tips. So when those people, excuse me, those pricks, leave those cards, it does nothing but take food out of our mouthes, and it made us bitter and sad.

I didn't get the vibe that she complained too much. As someone who lived a situation of going from middle-class to dirt poor almost overnight during that time period, who's family is just barely crawling out of that hole (I've left for college, up to my eyeballs in debt and still not able to afford it, my mom has just managed to buy a house after working 12 hour days at a factory and going to school at the same time), I'd rather the story be out there at all. This was an interested read, I liked it.