|
Reader question: Please explain this headline, with “high wire act” in particular: Work-Life-School Balance Is High Wire Act For Low-Income Youth. My comments: Here, school life for youth from low-income families is likened to an acrobat walking a tightrope high. The “wire” in “high wire act” refers to the thin wire or tightrope on which the acrobat balances himself. “High” indicates that it’s high up in the air. “Act” refers to the action, the balancing act itself. So, school life for youth from low-income families is likened to an acrobat walking a tightrope. Meaning? Meaning that it’s not easy, as the balancing act on the tightrope is not easy. Not only is the “high wire act” of the acrobat not easy, it is a dangerous task too. Any small misstep may lead to a fall, which means failure for the acrobat even if he doesn’t get hurt in consequence. So, for children from low-income families, work-life-school is a balancing act that is difficult to pull off. Unlike kids from rich families, children from poor families cannot skip the odd part-time work the family finds for them. The family needs the money. And if they do all the work they have to do, there won’t be as much time left for study as there is for other kids. Needless to say, there is even less time for play. Hence, you see, school life can be very tough for children from poor families and, hence, much less fun. | 
