Point Of Privilege

It's been ages since I've done a meme, because I mostly can't be bothered anymore. Oh, stop with the eye rolling! You know you feel the same way! Memes are so 2004!

However, the one I saw tonight on Calista's blog intrigued me. I think it could spark an interesting discussion, perhaps on this blog, perhaps on another blog.

The premise is that I bold all the statements that are true. My personal commentary will be in italics next to the statements I want to comment on. I'll probably have something to say once I've finished bolding statements and italicizing comments. Look for it at the bottom of this post.

There's some legal stuff I need to mention before I do the meme. 

Original source: The list is based on an exercise developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. The exercise developers ask that if you participate in this blog game, you acknowledge their copyright.

If you want to participate, please do the same. And here we go!

Father went to college
Father finished college - and he went on to get an M. Div.
Mother went to college
Mother finished college - and she got an M.A. in Journalism
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor - my brother has been an adjunct professor at my alma mater, as well as other places.
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers - I never sensed a class difference.
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home - if you counted my parents' books, and those of me and my siblings, yeah. More than 500.
Were read children’s books by a parent - Yes, yes, yes.
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 - Piano
Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18 - My parents paid the talented daughter of a parishioner $2 an hour to teach me some flute basics.
The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively - generally, yes.
Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18 -no!
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs - My parents took out loans, I took out loans, I got some grants. No trusts involved [insert chuckle], and I paid off my student loans in May 2007, fifteen years after graduating from college, but only because my ex and I sold our house in France.
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs - see above
Went to a private high school - No, but I did go to a private school for first grade, since the public schools wouldn't accept me until I was six.
Went to summer camp - Yes, a weeklong camp for two summers.
Had a private tutor before you turned 18 - I had no problem making grades until I went to college.
Family vacations involved staying at hotels - Bwahahaha. No.
Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18 - No, but when I hit middle school, I did get some new clothes.
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them - Hell no!
There was original art in your house when you were a child - It was from artists that were friends of my parents or grandparents.
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18 - I had to take the kitchen phone down to the basement if I wanted to have a private conversation.

You and your family lived in a single family house - My family and I lived in parsonages. You know, houses provided by the church. I'm a preacher's kid. We had nice homes, the sizes of which spoiled me, perhaps.
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home - They owned our summer house, which is a cottage in a clearing in the woods of rural Pennsylvania. As I've gotten older, the house has become more modern.
You had your own room as a child - yes, because the four kids were girl-boy-boy-girl. My brothers shared a room.
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course - Yes, at my high school, not a private service.
Had your own TV in your room in High School - um, no.
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College - What? What is this language that you speak?
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16 - yes, I went to Dallas with my mom. She had a business trip, and I had a best friend who'd moved there.
Went on a cruise with your family -never!
Went on more than one cruise with your family -see above
Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up -yes, and I also went on some cool field trips. My parents took me to the symphony, too. I was bored, and so was my brother, so we pretended the music we were hearing was from a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family - Totally unaware. The church paid the heating bills.

_________________________________

While I haven't looked at the Illinois State University study mentioned above, I would like to say that this study makes me look privileged.

Maybe I was.

We weren't rich. My father was a preacher in the United Methodist Church, and my mom worked part-time on and off from the time my sister was born in 1962 until she went to college in 1980. My mom went to work full-time then.

We were actually pretty poor. We weren't starving, but I couldn't have the jeans or tennis shoes my classmates had.

In doing this meme, I realized that we were rich. Wait, that's a lie. I've known for years that my family was rich. We have no money, but we are rich. My parents instilled so much in us. Most of that didn't cost a cent.

So while it looks like I was a child of privilege, I can say that I truly wasn't. I was blessed with parents who made the effort to open their children's minds.

Comments

[Emil]

That's an interesting one, Ali. Much more thought provoking than the ones that flood myspace, and more specific than the general "List 7 things about yourself" memes. I might have a go on my blog.

[Betty C.]

This is interesting. It looks like an arduous meme to do, though. I realized our answers would be astoundingly similar.Maybe someday.

[AndreAnna]

This was pretty cool. It's funny what we learn when we really think about things.

[madame l.]

The exercise developers ask that if you participate in this blog game, you acknowledge their copyright.
©

yeah, right. this is not a meme. this is an "how middle-class were/are you" quiz. the very notion that someone would like to © their meme is absurd. i smell funded information farming. they will compile this information, collate it and then charge people for it.

but maybe i'm just cynical. see forrester who charge 300 bucks upwards for information just like this to companies that want to market target more effectively.

obviously feel free to delete this comment if it's not shiny or happy enough. i don't mean any harm. just saying.

[Margaret]

I grew up in the same type of family that you did, except that my dad was a teacher with 4 kids. He walked to school from our house since we only had one car. There were times at the end of the month when we had to eat meatless meals. However, I never felt lacking or poor.

[C Pennington]

WHOA! Alison and I may have been raised by the same people. Same town, same number of siblings, same HS and both PKs (preacher's kids). My father was the assistant priest at the local Episcopal church, later to get his own congregation in WY. then ordained as bishop of the Anglican church, now retired. Vacations? HA! I have fond memories of KOA campgrounds on MANY cross country trips. Poor? No. Although some may have thought so. We had everything we needed.

[misschrisc]

I could only cite maybe one or two things on there that applied to me. I didn´t feel like we were in a lower class level but I guess we were.