This article reflects on how growing up poor held me back, and yet made me a better person when I moved to a wealthier city. It provides guidance to straddlers, those who, despite coming from a poor or working-class background, have achieved a level of upward mobility, often through education and/or career advancement, and now occupy positions in a different social class.

I grew up in a rural area that did not have a lot of economic opportunities and I wonder if there are some parallels with the (sub)urbanization/modernization of areas. I did not read the whole article (paywall) and we were not poor (never really in danger of doing without essentials).

Growing up we shopped in a grocery store easily measured in square feet (not acres) and doubled as a feed store. we had a garden (for actual food). Going to a movie was a special treat (and an hours drive). As a young adult I did manual labor and worked with/for immigrants, elderly, and people without much money. If we wanted something making/improvising was a real option. I am certainly not advocating for poverty or deprivations, but maybe just experiencing a wide variety of situations, environments, and doing without is a good thing.