29 January 2008

Privilege

Pastor Lehmann had an interesting meme on the concept of privilege. You can click here to read it. It lists some 34 items to determine "privilege" and the higher your score, the more privileged was your upbringing, I suppose. I scored a meager 11 out of the 34. My wife was a bit higher at 18 out of the 34. What amazed me was in scoring my children: they scored a whopping 26 out of the 34! Ha - they'll not believe how privileged they are. :)

I noted to Pastor Lehmann that what doesn't seem conveyed is the sense of privilege from land, which is inherent in the southern mindset, I think. My family was not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but we knew that we owned, in addition to our home and property in Maryland, my father's family farm in Virginia. Not a big farm - laughably small by Midwest standards - just 40 odd acres. But it always provided a sense of groundedness. When my father died in 1980, I don't think it was an accident at all that within six months my mother was living again in Virginia on that parcel of land, or that my sister and her family and my brother and his family still live there to this day.

So check it out: how privileged are you? Are you a hick like me?

13 comments:

Cha said...

I scored a 5.

Yet I would never say I was underpriveleged - I came from a really big family and that has implications for many of the questions.

Anonymous said...

More of a hick, in fact!!

I scored a 3. We were poor and redneck. Never went anywhere and the lines i scored on were somewhat overachievements...

btw, I love your blog, Pr. Weedon. I enjoy listening to your sermons on Issue, etc. when Pr. Wilken reviews them.

Anonymous said...

Ooops...I'm actually a 4. I went over it again and realized I missed one.

Anonymous said...

Hey wait a minute!! I scored 8 (or 9, I mixed up my counting). Cindi and I need to talk.

#28 made me laugh. Oh... privileges of the youngest. Too bad they didn't have another one that included "my parents bought me a King sized bed to go with my own TV" LOL

D

Rev. Charles Lehmann said...

Interesting side point...

I made a point in my sermon this week of noting that I don't use any special heavenly language to deliver the forgiveness of sins. I talk like the hick from Montana that I am. I talk like my momma taught me.

Two of my dear sheep, who you will meet on Saturday (deo volente), took me to task. They said, "You are no hick from Montana. You are called and ordained. You are our pastor."

I tried to defend myself, but I realize I shouldn't have. It's okay to joke about my hick-ness, but not in my pulpit. How about that... my members took a higher view of my office than I did.

Maria said...

21. I suppose I'm privileged.

Unknown said...

Pastor Weedon,

As an individual who grew up in the South, was educated in the South and still lives in the South, I probably am considered a 'Hick'.

Two ironic points:

1. The county I was raised in still to this day does not have a stop light in the 'whole' county.

2. I currently live on "Hick's" drive.

Therefore, I must be a "Hick"!! :-)

YFS,
Darian L. Hybl
Hicks Drive
Bracey, VA

Edward Reiss said...

I came out as a 6. I guess my "Common man" bonafides are intact.:-)

Anonymous said...

I wasn't too far behind your kids at 24. All of the first 12 were true for me (then the next 4 were false).

RPW said...

24, but I was 36 before I ever went on a cruise with them....

William Weedon said...

Thanks, Grasshopper!

Dee, you'll have to take it up with your OLD(er) sister.

Charlie, of course you are a hick from Montana - and you've corrupted my speech even more than it was!

Maria, we always knew you were privileged!

Darian, LOL!

Ed, skiing does not make for unprivileged!!!

Jimbo, AND you got to study in England - you dog.

RPW - well, at least you DID get to go on the cruise!

Anonymous said...

WW said:
Dee, you'll have to take it up with your OLD(er) sister.

Uh, you got the wrong sister in law. Sorry for the confusion

dEB

Anonymous said...

Here's Jason Aldean's take on the "hick" question. : )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IufJ19mL8c&NR=1