Privileges Meme and a fic rec
Gakked from
npkedit
Who, by the way, wrote a wonderful House/X-Men crossover called Mind Over Matter that is so much fun and should be read. It even has enough Chase for me! :-)
The meme's from What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.
The bolded ones are true for me, the not-bolded are not.
1. Father went to college
2. Father finished college
3. Mother went to college
4. Mother finished college
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor (My mom's a lawyer (or was - now she's happily retired), and my dad's a doctor. Can't think of any professors.)
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers. (I suppose I was the same, anyway.)
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home. (No doubt.)
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home. (Again, no doubt, at least at my mom's house. Probably not my dad's.)
9. Were read children's books by a parent. (Every night! Again, by my mom, not my dad, at least not that I remember.)
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 (see below)
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18 (Ballet, piano (ugh - I was horrible), french horn, tap, gymnastics, and riding. Oh, and one singing lesson insisted on by my grandmother - no idea why.)
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively. (I know what they're going for here, but believe me, I've never felt like I dressed right.)
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18 (Nope. Not until I was twenty and engaged.)
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs. (Yes, I was extremely lucky, and I know it - thanks, Mom!)
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs (Again - lucky!)
16. Went to a private high school. (The public schools where I grew up were pretty good, and my dad apparently felt strongly about his kids going to public schools.)
17. Went to summer camp. (Day camp, though - I wonder if that counts?)
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels. (Well, the ones with my dad did.)
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18 (I think we got some hand-me-downs from cousins (I remember one nightgown that I loved), but I don't think much in the grand scheme of things.)
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them. (Though it was really because it was easier (and probably cheaper) to do that than pay for someone to drive me around everywhere, my mom being a single mom and all.)
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child (A Kenji, I think - right, Mom? Plus all of the ones by Clare. Plus things my grandparents painted :-) Oh, and some by a cousin who's supposedly a rather famous artist in Cuba.)
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,
25. You had your own room as a child. (Well, at my mom's I first shared with my sister, but at my dad's, we had separate rooms.)
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18 (And I'd almost rather I didn't now - I've never been a phone person.)
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course (Never felt the need.)
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school (But it was a Sweet Sixteenth birthday present from my dad - and a bit of a guilt present, I think.)
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college (Would have been a good idea, though. Hmm.)
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16. (Before I turned 2, actually.)
31. Went on a cruise with your family.
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up. (Oh, yeah.)
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family. (Talking about money just wasn't done in our family.)
So, I'm obviously pretty privileged (not that that'll surprise anyone, I know). Heh.