All of this class talk is interesting to me. I’m an American of Irish, Scottish, English, Italian, French and Croatian descent. My people included first generation American grandparents of Italian and Croatian descent. The Scot and Irish folks came here in the 1700’s. Many were farmers but also college educated. Many were talented in music and art. There were many different careers. Teachers, sheriffs, assay, judge, Great Lakes captain, bootlegger (that ones a hoot). I don’t ever judge someone on their “family name”, rather I note their own achievements or talents. I have absolutely no use for a snob.
What I do love about America is that we are all here because our people were accepted and welcomed in the past except for those who were subject to slavery of course, at least that ended, but I wouldn’t say it’s over. I can’t even understand some of the issues we have today with people hating migrants and people fleeing oppression. Our country was founded on the idea of freedom for everyone. I do think family accomplishments and history are quite fascinating, but above all I just assess people on how they treat others, not whether you have a name or money.
You just reminded me out of the blue of an older lady I was next to in a yoga class in Massachusetts. Hearing that I wasn't a local, and apropos of nothing, she regaled me with an incongruous, unsolicited tale of how she'd got seasick sailing off the Cape recently. She made sure to let me know her august lineage by saying that her friend had commented, "But, Marjorie, how can you get seasick when your family came over in the Mayflower?"
I forbore to whip out my Debretts and trump her gauche, snobbish, self-elevation attempt with my 1,800 years of blue-blooded genes.
As you so rightly intimate, it's character that matters, it's how you treat others that really counts. Not how you exploited good people and your entitled ancestors' name to acquire money/power/fame.
Certain circles in English society particularly are still intensely snobbish (watch 'Lady C' in full flight...it's quite sickening IMHO. ).
Besides it's ludicrous - the genealogists tell us that a large ajority heritage Brits and thus many Americans of UK origin are descended from King Edward III, though most have lost the paperwork over the generations.
(PS I'm proud to say that I can count ag. labs. (agricultural labourers) and an actual washerwoman amongst my ancestors on the other side.
It could be the paarfect excuse for SJ to bid goodbye to Selmar.
Yes, though I think he's on his way out in any case.
The two bigger issues for me here are the glamper proprietors' tell-tale nastiness and the growing encroachment on the rights of property owners to do what they want on their land.
So, Steffie has ONE small RV on her 60-odd acres...how does that materially affect the glamper people? It's not taking any business away from them. If they could get Selmar to park on their land for a weekly rent, they would.
Their complaint only makes them look petty and mean. IMHO.
I looked at their website a few weeks ago, before this news. I thought that it might be an interesting, peaceful place to spend a few days when all's safe again. Now, I wouldn't even go near it with a disinfected bargepole!
And the other thing is that it's just a little RV of a friend who helps with household jobs, and tucked well away out of sight. It's not bothering anyone at all in practical terms. What business is it of any arm of gvt?
Please don't think that I'm Steff-fending! Perish the thought!
Just that there are bigger, more important principles of freedom and good manners at play here, as far as I'm concerned.