tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post7781348914830207887..comments2024-02-23T02:03:23.020-07:00Comments on The Eco Cat Lady Speaks: Thoughts on Class, Culture and "Green-ness"EcoCatLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-19363971806764473752012-07-13T14:08:32.231-06:002012-07-13T14:08:32.231-06:00"a job you actually enjoy." I dunno if s..."a job you actually enjoy." I dunno if such a thing really exists. Personally, I hate the whole idea of a job just on principle. But I suppose if you have to have one, it's best to choose the least onerous and highest paying one you can get.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-46385040233304364042012-07-13T14:04:11.464-06:002012-07-13T14:04:11.464-06:00Eee Gads! I guess it's either read the book or...Eee Gads! I guess it's either read the book or go get some good shin guards!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-71867014522495508212012-07-13T13:37:57.501-06:002012-07-13T13:37:57.501-06:00My husband is the hardest working man I know. That...My husband is the hardest working man I know. That's why it makes me so crazy. I keep telling him--you can work half as hard for 3 times the pay in a job that you actually enjoy. But what do I know? Feh. Shin kick!Demandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13091293696750606102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-35282194541809522242012-07-13T13:35:46.372-06:002012-07-13T13:35:46.372-06:00GODDAMMIT CAT READ THAT BOOK BEFORE I KICK YOU IN ...GODDAMMIT CAT READ THAT BOOK BEFORE I KICK YOU IN THE SHIN!Demandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13091293696750606102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-60725515704538053712012-07-11T21:22:44.449-06:002012-07-11T21:22:44.449-06:00The "upward mobility gene" I totally lov...The "upward mobility gene" I totally love it! I fear I lack it as well... can't blame it on culture though, just pure laziness!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-49052814121588139742012-07-11T21:20:24.242-06:002012-07-11T21:20:24.242-06:00Hmmm... that sounds like an interesting read... I&...Hmmm... that sounds like an interesting read... I'll put it on the list, right after I read Married to Bhutan! (Did I mention I'm a lazy bastard?)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-61523444951007113802012-07-11T17:18:43.524-06:002012-07-11T17:18:43.524-06:00Ack! That's the name of it! A friend of mine i...Ack! That's the name of it! A friend of mine is always telling me to watch those documentaries so that I don't kill my husband for lacking the "upward mobility gene" so common in most Americans (he hates his low-paying job and won't do anything about it). My buddy keeps saying that it is because he's British and it's a cultural thing. So. True.Demandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13091293696750606102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-78721343011270595272012-07-11T17:14:33.962-06:002012-07-11T17:14:33.962-06:00*is a white liberal from the rural South* (and the...*is a white liberal from the rural South* (and there are plenty of us!<br /><br />Anyhoo, I just want to scream YES to this--"And maybe the "have nots" of this society are really the people who we should be looking to as our environmental role models... as opposed to the Prius driving, organic food eating hipster "green" crowd."<br /><br />I haven't read through all the comments yet, but I will add my 2 cents. I was raised in a lower class environment by folks who were raised in the lower class and eventually worked their way into the middle class. And I'm pretty sure that back in the day, class structure had elements of behavior intertwined, but since we are all about the cash now, it only revolves around money these days. Anyhoo, although my income places me firmly in the middle class, I will always consider myself part of the lower classes (primarily, working class). I wrote a post about this called "Poor People" (I think, anyhoo) many moons ago. Basically, I don't think those first identities ever really leave us, and those who try to shed them generally end up looking like asshats.<br /><br />Have you ever read the book "Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams" by Alfred Lubrano? Deals with the issue of class beautifully, and addresses folks like me, who grew up poor but straddle both worlds. Interesting stuff. And I'm too tired and lazy to make any real point here.<br /><br />Now, off to read the other comments.Demandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13091293696750606102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-86676542840056893472012-06-24T00:27:47.022-06:002012-06-24T00:27:47.022-06:00"Maybe class is just something we "do&qu..."Maybe class is just something we "do" when things are going well to distract us from the fact that we're all going to die exactly the same way as the person on the other side of the tracks." Wow - that's an amazing insight, one we should all try to remember more often!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-27018492270839522362012-06-23T02:01:29.498-06:002012-06-23T02:01:29.498-06:00My upper middle class mother always told me to &qu...My upper middle class mother always told me to "be nice to everybody" and, while I believe the implication was "you never know who they might become," I met a whole lot of people who turned out to be wonderful nobodies! <br />When I worked in radio, I interviewed people from all classes who, for one reason or another, wanted or needed their voices to be heard on an issue. It's funny how class constructs fly out the window when someone's well-being is threatened. Maybe class is just something we "do" when things are going well to distract us from the fact that we're all going to die exactly the same way as the person on the other side of the tracks.Christine@100things100dayshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11953484713771698921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-83587608003450399052012-06-22T06:32:18.158-06:002012-06-22T06:32:18.158-06:00We don't work either...retirement is a wonderf...We don't work either...retirement is a wonderful thing :) but I consider us members of the working class because that's how we earned our retirement. <br />MarieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-86750484143550187612012-06-21T14:25:53.828-06:002012-06-21T14:25:53.828-06:00Good point about people being individuals. I'v...Good point about people being individuals. I've known some very wealthy people who were just wonderful human beings.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-11962614919056311582012-06-21T14:22:24.133-06:002012-06-21T14:22:24.133-06:00Strangely, I didn't find it at all depressing....Strangely, I didn't find it at all depressing. I guess I found it to be less about the class issue and more just interesting to watch the directions that their various lives took. I watched it all on Netflix.<br /><br />But I heartily agree with the blazing one's own trail thing!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-21009854488586499482012-06-21T14:18:13.185-06:002012-06-21T14:18:13.185-06:00Ha! I used to LOVE the TV show "Northern Expo...Ha! I used to LOVE the TV show "Northern Exposure" and there was a wonderful episode where one of the characters goes to work for the local "rich guy." There's a scene where the rich guy is reading some article about an even richer guy and saying things like "wouldn't it be wonderful to be really rich, to never have to worry about money?" I think therein lies the trap!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-2038988743145852192012-06-21T14:13:41.746-06:002012-06-21T14:13:41.746-06:00Interesting point about who we feel most comfortab...Interesting point about who we feel most comfortable with. I definitely gravitate to the alternative/hippie crowd. I'm starting to wonder if any of us really "fit" anywhere!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-47251946141984754362012-06-21T14:09:19.147-06:002012-06-21T14:09:19.147-06:00So poor they didn't notice the Great Depressio...So poor they didn't notice the Great Depression! I think my Dad's family would fit into that category too!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-1452429620226853832012-06-21T13:59:49.197-06:002012-06-21T13:59:49.197-06:00That's a very interesting way to look at it......That's a very interesting way to look at it... those who work and those who don't. So does that mean that I'm now a member of the "leisure class" since I haven't had a job in 6 years? :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-28545069922774637992012-06-21T08:09:02.168-06:002012-06-21T08:09:02.168-06:00I've never seen 7-Up because I didn't buy ...I've never seen 7-Up because I didn't buy a television until I got to the States and even then, I didn't have cable so I eventually got rid of it. I have heard of it, however. It sounded really depressing! I believe class is fixed - or affixed! - but it's up to us to shake it off and embrace our individuality. Keeping up with the Joneses, as mentioned here in the comments section, is just another way of trying to fit in. I've never even tried to fit in. To paraphrase Thoreau: you have to blaze your own trail!J.N. Urbanskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15559313396686836048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-78982625914025357612012-06-21T04:27:20.795-06:002012-06-21T04:27:20.795-06:00Haha, I would consider lentils etc middle class or...Haha, I would consider lentils etc middle class or hippy food :p Not low class at all...<br /><br />It always amazes me how many things I consider normal are considered weird by people from other countries (and vice versa)- like line drying washing...apparently this is a very British thing, but not so common in the US and Canada....NicolaBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01542310810409358114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-62752723855827866632012-06-19T15:32:03.794-06:002012-06-19T15:32:03.794-06:00Very interesting post. I definitely grew up poor (...Very interesting post. I definitely grew up poor (and immigrant), but I didn't realize we were poor until I went to college. I met many middle-class kids and even some rich ones, but I was blissfully ignorant since my crowd was mostly other immigrant kids or "alternative/hippie" or pseudo-hippie. I think one of the problems I have with my upbringing is that I still feel more comfortable with poorer people or people who came from lower-income backgrounds. This did not bode well in terms of networking and my career. At the same time, with my education, I'm culturally middle-class for sure. I guess I also don't quite fit anywhere.oilandgarlichttp://oilandgarlic.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-62534350893635929562012-06-18T19:22:12.792-06:002012-06-18T19:22:12.792-06:00Actually, I think we all want to think of ourselve...Actually, I think we all want to think of ourselves as special. Just watch the traffic! But nobody feels rich (except Warren Buffet and probably Bill Gates and maybe a couple of other people). You can always imagine more stuff you wish you could have. (I go back and forth between feeling rich and poor. Mostly I feel rich because I really can have just about anything I want, though not everything I want all at the same time. Although nowadays, I really do have an amazing amount of stuff I want all at the same time. It quite helps to find cheaper ways to get the stuff you want.)Debbie Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-2111306245831953842012-06-18T19:18:04.910-06:002012-06-18T19:18:04.910-06:00Good. My school was all about the studying--I did...Good. My school was all about the studying--I didn't even know any binge drinkers although I did manage to end up at a keg party once. (My school got a 1 out of 5 on social life in some national survey. The students were all upset that we didn't get a 2. Heh.)<br /><br />I did not notice that relationship, but then I'm not sure I knew how rich anyone was.<br /><br />I do, however, know I have a bias against rich people because I think it's hard to make THAT MUCH money without being a jerk. However, I do recognize that it's a nasty bias and I fight against it to try to treat people like the individuals they are.Debbie Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-47591266242915414062012-06-18T13:27:15.610-06:002012-06-18T13:27:15.610-06:00Lots to think about here. Big picture, my family ...Lots to think about here. Big picture, my family is probably middle class. I have a decent salary, bills are paid, and while we do run out of money every month, we never go hungry. But I work with people who make more money than me and don't think of themselves as rich, but have lots of toys like dirtbikes and boats and travel much more than I do. <br /><br />My maternal grandparents grew up on farms in Colorado in families that were so poor they "didn't notice" the Great Depression. But they went on to become teachers (my grandpa was a principal when he retired 30+ years ago) and have had a good, stable life with good cars and nice houses. <br /><br />My husband's family probably didn't have any less money, but tended to more "lower class" preferences and behaviors than mine. But frankly my mother's family (the one I grew up with) was less elitist and more borderline puritanical.Steph(anie)https://www.blogger.com/profile/01345590378662641435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-83023379302743868072012-06-18T09:56:02.037-06:002012-06-18T09:56:02.037-06:00I think we mistake class with money.There are only...I think we mistake class with money.There are only two classes the working class, that's all of us who work for a living and the upper class folk who have inherited wealth.<br />The other class that folk allude to is the "poor";people who can't work because of health(physical or mental)or because there is no work for them...a class that will be expanding as our financial problems worsen.<br />I think class is character and how you treat people, especially those we consider the poor class shows whether or not you have it.<br />So to choose which class I'm in?Someone mentioned upthread about living in a trailer- which we did for ten years, I think I'd like to be trailer trash. <br /><br />MarieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-61577064728219797632012-06-17T22:37:11.408-06:002012-06-17T22:37:11.408-06:00Dirty looks from other shoppers? Wow... that's...Dirty looks from other shoppers? Wow... that's disheartening. I actually know lots of people who have had to rely on social programs to get by. In fact, one of the things that convinced me not to attempt a life as a professional musician was having to fill out Medicare paperwork for so many of the music teachers, just so they could take their kids to see a doctor! I mean these were people with master's degrees and more talent in their little fingers than I could ever hope to posses. It still leaves me shaking my head at how little our society values certain professions.<br /><br />But I've always seen voluntary poverty as a sort of badge of honor. It means that you're living your life according to a set of values and ideals that go beyond consumerism. I mean, I'm sure your financial situation is not entirely "voluntary" but on some level it is... because if making money had been a high priority for you, I'm sure you could have easily excelled at it.<br /><br />I may have mentioned this before, but my dad had a great deal of guilt about accepting Social Security money... even though you pretty much don't have any choice but to accept it, he's so frugal that he didn't think he needed it. But what made it OK for him was the realization that a huge part of the reason we have social programs like WIC and Social Security is to keep money circulating in the economy rather than have it all locked up in the bank accounts of the uber rich. So he's been on a mission to try to spend all of his Social Security money because he sees it as his civic duty. He's failing miserably, but it's still fun to watch!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.com