And who would care about that if they were truly sincere in caring for someone?????

Century 21 would have tours through our "planned community". We'd lay down in driveways....trace each other....write down, "EVIDENCE" around chalkline.......so when Real Estate buses would come through, it would scare prospective buyers.

What does that have to do with anything??? I must be slow or totally stupid!!!!

.. I did not grow up in the best of circumstances..
. my parents. encourage me to go to school.. along with my 4 other sisters.. but we were the ones that had to go to school.
. we we're the ones that had to do our homework..
. money was always tight..
. my mom could squeeze a dime out of a nickel..
.. I have never caught a break that I did not make for myself.. I understand the OP's point..
.. but there are those who get up. and on with it.
. and those who don't.. I am NOT being disrespectful.
. it is however a fact.. and that's all I got to say about that.. ..
. just so I'm clear.
. I'm not trying.
. to insult anyone.
.ok..

I've always been considered by other people as one of the have nots! But I have! So what they considered as "have not" was not true! I have succeeded despite all the opinions of those who considered me a have not! I have and possess what is of utmost value in this life...dignity, self respect and a knowing of accomplishment in the tasks I have set myself to achieve. I can't ask for anything more than that!

For me, navigating between two worlds was more about fitting in within 2 cultures. Because I'm Mexican I should this. Being American means something else. Including telling meiI was mispronouncing my last name.
I learned to be proud of who I am and where I come from yet always work toward my dreams.
I live as my conscience tells me, not always to be cool or accepted.

My mother came from money, my father from the working middle class.

My mother wanted her girls to be educated and cultured with attributes to attract the white picket dreams that were in fashion back then.

My father wanted us to live in the real world. As the oldest daughter he taught me to do things for myself and told me not to depend on a man for things I can do for myself so I wouldn't be too disappointed if men didn't live up to my expectations.

My parents tried their best to provide for themselves and 4 kids on my father's military income, which included private school until they divorced, then of course everything changed.

Even though I wasn't able to attend school through to graduation, I've always read and researched and tried to stay current with what is important for me to know in my particular environment.

I did however obtain my GED before I became employed in 1986 to better my chances at making a higher income which wasn't required of me at that time, it was just something I personally wanted to accomplish.

I too have walked on both sides of the tracks because of my innate desire to know life and the lives of others to be able to better identify and relate.

I've mixed and mingled with elite, professionals, to bikers... and I've been respected and judged by both sides that do and don't understand my wild and mild sides when I can easily oblige each.

To me, life would be too boring if I never crossed any lines.

Folks, there is no such thing as "the wrong side of the tracks".

However, there are Humans who have a better-than-you attitude.

Oh sure there is NOT judging people, especially by such shallow criteria. Which I "get".....but there are most certainly tracks. I've traveled them.

I have hopped on a few boxcars in my day......

Freakin Brilliant Jeff! I actually (quite literally) have too.

Are either of you named "Willie"?

never heard the term straddling tracks before, the term straddle always puts me in mind of sex,, to be honest,,

but, reading the thread, I guess it means changing financial statuses?


well, I don't really consider myself to have had a financial status before I was grown, but my parents both worked making us a fairly upper middle class home

when I turned 18, and moved on my own, I lived with my fianc�, we both worked and we were definitely in the struggling lower class

Ive worked ever since, with varying stages of relationship, and remained pretty much in the struggling lower class,, though I have had the fortune of an extended family situation which allows me to live in a middle class home in an upper middle class to wealthy community,,,,our neighborhood is the lower end of all the others here, but its still on a golf course, gated and guarded community, so,, could be much worse as a place to live,,,,

On a golf course, gated and guarded ...

... "wealth privilege" has its perks.

yeah, the wealthy don't mind renting out to the middle class,, lol



I could tell stories of why Id rather not live here, its rather bougeise for my taste to be honest. But at least its safe for my daughter.

Oh Ms., perhaps I was just being a bit dramatic about being at "Macy's Window" with ripped blue jeans and holey boots during "the formative years".........AND perhaps self-indulgent about how it's affected "my" perspective.

We seem to grow up and work these things out. Or not. (EDIT.....That last sentence was ONLY directed at myself!!!)

I could be wrong but I think she is flirting with you brother....

has a figurative speech impediment

I completely understand...as I am the mom with the defacto dime in hand and I have been the kid in school AND I have pretty much worked all my life...haven't had many breaks, TBH. It would be nice, but if I do get one, it will be cuz I earned it. I hve earned all I hve the hard way.

It doesn;t mean that the silver spoon crowd are bad people tho. Often they are very nice, philanthropic, and really work for social causes. But there is a qualitative difference that they will never understand when they haven't had to choose between new shoes for themselves or new shoes for their kids....

so even while close friends with those folks as a young person, there will always be that divide they cannot comprehend. I don;t see that as particularly significant tho