The gap between the haves and the have-nots is smaller than I thought. The standard width of railroad tracks in the United States is four feet, eight and a half inches. So, when someone is from “the wrong side of the tracks,” the physical distance can be covered by a single leap. Therefore, it should be easy enough to leave the poor neighborhood, for a moment anyway. But does your neighborhood of origin ever leave you? Whether rich or poor, or from somewhere in between, our primary experiences set our level of expectation and our tolerances. In my tender years, eating fast food was a rare treat and special occasions called for a trip to the local buffet. We were poor, but somehow, we weren’t as poor as I thought we were at the time. We had a house, clothes, and food, which I naturally took for granted. Now that I’ve grown up and moved on, it’s loving for me to treat myself to a steak dinner once in a while just because I can. And yet, there’s still a part of me that thinks it’s too extravagant. I should on myself and feel unworthy of something so expensive. I think, therefore I am what I think I am, and the circumference of my brain is also a short distance. However, our thoughts are not contained within the confines of the skull. Attempting to traverse my own opinion of myself is a vast undertaking. Regardless of the physical distance between a mansion and a slum, the psychological distance is the struggle to overcome.