Because Ken did it.

Some professor made up a list that shows you privileged you are. Crap, crap and more crap.

If this professor was to look at my life now (my income, education, standard of living) he would probably assume my success has come more from my “privileged” upbringing and less from my own hard work.

I’ll give you something; I have wonderful parents who always believed in me, who always helped when they could but let me learn my own lessons in life. What they gave me was more “privilege” than money could buy.

Anyway, here we go:

Premise: bold each of the statements that applies.

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.

And now on to the list:

Father went to college [two year and he started when I was a teenager]

Father finished college [he finished night school late in my teen years]

Mother went to college

Mother finished college

Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor [Dad's first cousin is an attorney, but they hardly know each other. Not sure if that counts]

Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers

Had more than 50 books in your childhood home [I have and still have a WELL stocked library of books on history]

Had more than 500 books in your childhood home

Were read children’s books by a parent [Goldbuggie!]

Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 [I took guitar lessons from age 16-18, but I PAID for the lessons myself from money I earned working fast food]

Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18

The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively [If you mean the faceless crowd in a back ground shot, then yes]

Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18 [Dad got me one when I started college. It had some ridiculously low limit, but he told me to put $50 a month on it and he would pay the bill. That way when I graduated, I would have credit. I still have the same card. Member since 1992]

Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs [I went to college on student loans. In fact me and Mr. Stafford became good friends and I fully expected to pay them back over 10 years. To my utter surprise and amazement, Dad offered to pay back my student loans for me as my graduation present. Dad, I am eternally grateful for your generosity.]

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

Went to a private high school [I spent two years at the local private Baptist school and my last two years at the Public high school. I can tell you for a fact that I received a better education at the Public school...there is a good post to write about...for later]

Went to summer camp [If you count Boy Scouts]

Had a private tutor before you turned 18

Family vacations involved staying at hotels [Like Ken, most of our vacations involved either camping or staying with relatives]

Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18

Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them

There was original art in your house when you were a child [WTF?]

Had a phone in your room before you turned 18

You and your family lived in a single family house [3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1960's ranch, maybe 1,800 square feet]

Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home [Mom sold the house just before I left for school. She rented an apartment for years]

You had your own room as a child [It was only me and my sister, so yeah.]

Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course [Best SAT score: 1,080 back when the best was 1,600. Maybe I needed a prep course]

Had your own TV in your room in High School

Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College

Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16 [Two times. Once for a family vacation to see my grandparents and then two years later to burry my granddad]

Went on a cruise with your family [Nah, those boats sink, burn and have stomach viruses]

Went on more than one cruise with your family

Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up [We went to the Smithsonian museums a few times when we would go back to DC for family vacations. Art? What's that?]

You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family [Nope but I've got to put down what Ken said. It fits perfectly: "I don't know how much the bills were but I know religion was involved"]

What does all this mean? The heck if I know.

All I know is I came from a broken home but with two parents who loved me. I had to work fast food while in high school. It took me 6 years to graduate with a four year degree from Georgia Tech because I would work a quarter, go to school a quarter. I have had 3 very good jobs in my 10 years of work since graduation that have given me an incredible resume and made me a very well rounded engineer.

Was that because of privilege? I think it has more to do with God given ability, loving parents and hard work. Lots of hard work.