Reality Check (Posted on MySpace 03/21/06)

• Mar 21, 2006

  Reality Check

  Current mood:shocked

  Up until today, I think I've had an unintentional, unnoticeable, unacknowledged lack of respect for men with a no education, and with blue-collar jobs. It was never that I looked down upon those type of men, but when it came to dating, I would barely give them the time of day, and if I did, it was with no intent to give them the opportunity of knowing my heart. Maybe I felt I was too good for them, which is quite odd seeing as though I've only had my degree a little more than a year, and many of them probably make more money than I do. But reality has hit.

  Last week, in one of my schools (I do social work in a select number of Chicago Public High Schools), I had a number of men flirting and competing for my attention. A few of them were security guards with baby-mamas, one was a teacher, degreed, experienced, and traveled (adj), another was a janitor cleaning the lunchroom between each lunch period, and one was a lunchroom volunteer who was very inspiring, Biblically knowledgeable, well versed, probably retired, and old enough to be my daddy's uncle. When presented with such a variety of men with such a variety of experience and life achievement, I think that I instinctively endowed (I think that's the word I want to use) more respect to the degreed teacher and the retired volunteer. And I didn't realize that I had done this until I had a borderline sexually harrassing conversation with one, and heard a sermon on sex and my purpose in life from the other that made me question the appropriateness of the topic.

  What do you all think of this observation? Have my degree and salaried employment lead my mind to a place so high that I think I am too good for a certain population of people...my own people? I'm really...shocked, to say the least, that I've been this way. But let me know what you all think.
  Comments

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    Phil Franklin Is classism any different from divide and conquer. Are matters of the heart dictated my the voice with a golden tongue. We all deep deep way deep down know we shouldn't judge a book.... and say size doesnt matter.... truth is once the majority of us have dipped we don't wont to double dip regardless of how much flavor it adds. Meaning, perhaps your degree has clouded your view of what a man should be, or perhaps it just narrowed your blinders so that you can find exactly what your looking for faster. Just remember wealth isn't determined by how much you have, but by how much you don't need. If a man can treat you with blindingly bright affection, be attentive, and loyal, is it so bad that he can't carry on a conversation about socialism in third world countries? Is the degree a cloud, or a periscope.

    5 years ago
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    Lawrence Malone well thats nothing too new lol... I guess when you get that degree it makes you want more out of life whethers its money or a mate.  but I think that the reality check often hits men/women when they cant find a mate with a who possesses a certain criteria/status that will treat them right...and they look at the people with out degrees or just a lack of money as "left overs"

    5 years ago
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      LaSondra Kidd Nah, I haven't reached that point. This reality check didn't come as a result of not being able to find a mate, but I can see how that could happen.

      5 years ago