Stolded from various and sundry

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THE PRIVILEGE QUIZ

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.

To participate, copy and paste the list (below) into your blog, and bold the items that are true for you. (comments added in italics)

• Father went to college - he attended various classes at various times.  I don't know that he has a degree in anything.


• Father finished college - However Dad did attend classes to get his license to sell insurance, at that time the test was very difficult and he was one of two out of about 80 who passed it the first time he took it.  He hated that test, and hated studying for it and was going to quit until I gave him a piece of my mind for trying to give up on something he really wanted.  This was when he decided he wanted to change careers at 50.


• Mother went to college - she attended various classes at various times.  I don't know that she has a degree in anything.


• Mother finished college


• Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor


• Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers - I'm not sure what this means.  We didn't know what social class our teachers were in.  Some of them lived in our neighborhood though.  Is that the point? One of the High School administrators lived across the street from us.


• Had more than 50 books in your childhood home. - Easily in my own room.


• Had more than 500 books in your childhood home - Easily.  We were book fair nuts. (except my brother who is a misfit or something.)


• Were read children's books by a parent. - Yes and I could read most of mine by the time I was 3


• Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 - Swimming lessons when I was little.


• Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18 - (besides swimming), guitar, flute, and violin


• The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively - Yah... right... they portray people like me in the worst possible light.


• Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18 - Hahahahaha! I got my first credit card when I was 36


• Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs - Dad paid off the last 2000 of my student loan 12 years after I graduated.


• Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs


• Went to a private high school


• Went to summer camp


• Had a private tutor before you turned 18


• Family vacations involved staying at hotels.


• Your clothing was bought new before you turned 18. - Most of it. Sometimes I got a pair of my brother's jeans but only if I wanted them.  Some of my clothes were handmade.


• Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them.  - Well... but it wasn't new.  It was a 12 year old Cutlass Supreme Dad got for $600


• There was original art in your house when you were a child.  - My eldest cousin is a very talented scenic artist, and we had at least one of his paintings.


• Had a phone in your room before you turned 18


• You and your family lived in a single family house


• Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home


• You had your own room as a child.


• Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course - I should have. If the high school councelors had done their job and even told me I should be TAKING these tests.


• Had your own TV in your room in High School - I didn't, but my brother did. I didn't buy one.


• Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College


• Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16 - I have never flown anywhere at any time.


• Went on a cruise with your family


• Went on more than one cruise with your family


• Your parents took you to museums and/or art galleries as you grew up.


• You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family. - Not specifically I remember having to sit on my register with my blanket around me to keep the heat in teh blanket with me if I wanted to get warm enough.  I knew they were trying to save money on heating... something I could never stand doing myself.

Huh.. I thought there was something we were supposed to do at the bottom... like you know, add up all the bolded stuff and give yourself 10 points for each thing bolded and then look up your score on this chart thing to see how priveleged you were growing up.  Oh well... that's kind of disappointing.

Resolutions

Yah.. I don't make them. I've said so.  Generally speaking they are just a way to set yourself up for failure or disappointment. But I've got a couple now that I've thought about this a bit.

1. I will no longer hang out with people who are bent on destroying themselves and dragging others down with them. Sorry guys, but I won't do it. I won't be a part of it.  So basically if you are still living in a world of the negative, abusing various chemicals, destroying your lungs, your health, your appearance,  your mental well being, do not expect to see much of me.  I find it has much more to do with that than obnoxious behavior.  The fact that you don't care about yourselves enough to care for yourselves is why your behavior towards others has become so obnoxious really. It doesn't mean I don't care about you.  I just can't be around you.
   
2. Living on $12,000 a year and having $13,000 in the most basic of household expenses every year is not flying with me.   I'm sick of trying to figure out where the other $1000 is coming from.  I'm sick of having to rent out a room.  I will get a better job.  Period. 
   
3. I will sell this house.  Nuff said.