Nobody's GOT no claaaaaaass!

[tzikeh]

Bold those statements which are true of your life experiences. So, this was interesting, but it's definitely not as simple as bolded statement=truth.



1. Father went to college

2. Father finished college--no, because my father majored in Staying The Hell Out of Viet Nam. (His ostensible major was Psychology; he planned to become a psychologist. Those of you who know my family history can stop laughing any time now.) He went to college for five years, and when "student" was no longer a way to get out the draft, he and my mother dropped out of college and had me (Become a daddy--the next way to avoid the draft!). He then went to work for my mom's dad, and when he finally had to go down to the Army Recruitment Office, he told them he'd make and excellent soldier because he would unionize the troops, so they'd get time-and-a-half for any maneuvers after 5pm. They *loved* that. Shortly thereafter, the United States started leaving Viet Nam, and that was that.

3. Mother went to college

4. Mother finished college--see #2

5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor

6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers

7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home

8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home Good lord, LOADS more.

9. Were read children's books by a parent

10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18

11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18 Piano, violin, guitar, voice, acting, ballet, tap, gymnastics (don't laugh... ah, fuck it, go ahead. I sucked like a small child with an extra-thick malted and a twisty-straw. Uneven bars? FAIL. Vault? FAIL. Balance Beam? FALL. I did enjoy chalking up my hands, though), horseback riding, swimming (still have my "Advanced" card from the Red Cross somewhere), archery, skiing, fire-eating(!), webspinning (circus, not spider), magic, stilt-walking, trapeze (this did not go well with my fear of heights, but it was part of the circus curriculum), calligraphy, cartooning, pottery... Jesus Christ, I've never sat down and listed them before. When the fuck did I go to school and study???

12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively I debated bolding this one, because it depends on your definition of "positive". The Jewish culture is often either played for stereotype, or Jewish characters are presented as entirely not Jewish by any definition of the word other than saying "I'm Jewish" at some point. I wouldn't say they're portrayed *negatively* for the most part, either--just kind of... there. The only self-professed atheist on television who I know of is Gregory House, so in that case no, not particularly a positive role model. ;) But as far as white women from upper-middle class families, absolutely.

But as far as people from New Jersey go? HAH. DOUBLE-HAH.

13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18--no, but I didn't need one.

14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs

15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs For this, I am truly and deeply grateful.

16. Went to a private high school--no, but the public high school in my district was one of the top schools in the state, private or public, so it wasn't necessary to be sent to a private high school to receive an excellent education. Alas, this is no longer true. Oh, Columbia, how far you have fallen.

17. Went to summer camp day camp, not overnight. Yes and no. I went to day camp from age four to age eight, and then starting at age nine I went to sleep-away camps until I was eighteen.

18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18--nope, but I didn't need one. If I had, I'm sure I would have gotten one. However, I had my own private therapist before I turned 18! (Joy.)

19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels and motels. No motels, but definitely hotels. And not always, because vacations also included visiting various relatives or (*cough*) going up to the summer house in Massachusetts.

20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18.

21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them. Used, but bought for me.

22. There was original art in your house when you were a child. Lots--mostly picked up on our travels, or painted by my grandfather, who worked in oils, or my aunt, who works in watercolors. I stole some of both when I moved out.

23. You and your family lived in a single family house.

24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home. Well before.

25. You had your own room as a child.

26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18

27. Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course--No, but my favorite high school English teacher helped me out a lot during her free periods for a few days.

28. Had your own TV in your room in High School.--Nope, but this was before that became, er, "normal" for kids. None of my friends had a tv in their bedroom.

29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College B-day. I didn't personally, but my parents had investments for me.

30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16

31. Went on a cruise with your family--no, but my family wasn't interested in cruises.

32. Went on more than one cruise with your family--see #31.

33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.

34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family I was unaware of how much anything my family had cost. The only costs I knew of were things I bought for myself or things my mother bought for me when we went shopping.

Yes, I was massively, massively privileged growing up, if money is the sole criterion required to be counted among the privileged. But--and trust me on this one--money don't mean shit as far as happiness goes.

Comments

[keiko-kirin.livejournal.com]

Oddly, I can answer "yes" to many of these, yet my family was quite poor. I guess it reflects where their priorties were. Or maybe I was a spoiled brat. Hmm, yeah. I got my own room in 1st grade when my sister wanted her own room. I don't know how it worked out this way, but my sis moved out of the room we were sharing, which was the master bedroom. So, I got my own room and it was the master bedroom! On the downside, it was absolutely the coldest bedroom in the house. Frost on the inside of the windows in the winter.

My dad was/is an English literature professor, everyone in my family liked to read, so the house was wall-to-wall books. It didn't hit me until I was well into my teens that this was uncommon. I was always surprised to visit people's homes and not see books everywhere.