[quote]Hack Wilson wrote:
I live in the mid-west.
As for being materialistic. Not really. To an extent. I don’t think more so than anyone else. And I am a snob if that means that I don’t want my children exposed to certain things, things that the people I have termed ‘white trash’ take for granted as part of every day life.
As for replacing the term ‘white trash’ with black to show I’m a racist, well…my wife’s not white (and thankfull not white trash) so I try not be too racist since I’m the only one in my household whose caucasian. However, the WHITE TRASH on in my “upper-middle class” neighborhood do fairly well at racism. They make no attempt to pronounce my wife’s name correctly. No matter how often I repeat it. But, that’s probably just stupidity and general ignorance. It doesn’t end there. But that’s all I’ll share.
And, yeah. I move out of people’s way. Problem is, I found myself molding my body to walls in order to so because some idiot would not take one step to allow me to continue on my path. I’ve stepped into streets to get out of the way. I’ve seen my children get rammed because people won’t inconvenience themselves by moving an inch. It’s a pervasive sense of entitlement and concern for one’s self with no concern or regard for others. I was taught to be aware of others. Respect personal space. Be courteous. But that’s not taught these days and it’s not taught among the white trash crowd.
As for being called a YUPPIE. I am supposed to be insulted? If being a yuppie means that I make enough money so that my wife does not have to work and that we can pay the bills, save a good amount, and have enough money for whatever, vacations, etc. Then, yeah. I’m a yuppie.
Does that make me a pussy? I don’t know. I’ve clean and jerked 180 kg. Is that manly enough for you? I’ve full back squatted 240 kg. and clean-grip deadlifted 270 kg., snatched 140 kg. and benched 200 kg. all with no wraps, no belt, etc.
Was I a yuppie when I was on a full football scholarship at a Big East school, too? Am I a yuppie when I compete locally in mixed martial arts, and nationally in o-lifting and powerlifting? Or is all that ‘tough guy’ shit negated by the fact that I also have a relatively high-paying job? Should I not accept that money because it’s not red-neck enough to not dig ditches?[/quote]
I would imagine that several people who end up becoming regulars here are professionals who make close to or over 50 grand a year. It isn’t the income that makes someone materialistic. I don’t judge the value of a human being by how big their house is. I grew up in the “bad part of town” (whatever that TRULY means) and many of my friends who I grew up with are still working very hard just to pay rent. Their value doesn’t decrease if my income bracket jumps a level (despite whatever strain that may put on our relationships).
When someone cries out about those of lower income as if they should be avoided, it makes me wonder about that person’s character. I can imagine that type of person would turn up their nose at someone driving a beat up car or someone from a different culture if they wear baggy pants or a football jersey.
Regardless of what I accomplish in life, my roots are still in south Houston in a neighborhood where the odd stabbing or shooting became background noise because it happened so often. Because of that, my judgement of others is not based on income, style of dress or how much money they spent beautifying their front yard. None of that means much to me. If anything, I probably judge those who do focus on things like that in majority to be not worth my time.
As far as people not moving out of your way, maybe you simply need to lift more weights. People generally move out of my way simply because I am bigger than they are.
