a classed situation

Tonight, I hosted an open mic. I am technically getting paid to do this, because I am still (by just two days) young enough to be considered a "youth" at the "queer youth center" I used to intern at. I invented this project of throwing an open mic as a way to employ myself and other youth at the center. (The center has a budget for stipending its youth.) So I got two other youth and sat down and planned this thing.

Here's the interesting part:

1) it was easy. Including the hosting of the open mic itself, the entire operation took maybe 4 hours, including time taken to put up fliers around town.

2) It cost me maybe $30 in gas money, total. The copies I got for free, courtesy of the University.

3) I did the vast majority of the work, and hosted the actual event. I had the time to do this because I'm otherwise pretty much unemployed (save that twice-a-week personal chef gig).

4) The other youth on the project didn't have the time or energy to really pull this together. One of them is unemployed; the other is employed crappily. Both need money, a whole lot.

5) I'm planning to keep $60 of what I get paid (enough for one tank of gas), and give the rest to the other youth who were even a little bit involved.

6) No one besides me and the other youth involved seem to think this makes sense. I think they don't get it that I devised the project as a way to get my friends paid.

But I do, so that's okay. And I'm trying to interrupt the narrative of what I "deserve."