cmst1a0660863: The gap between two worlds

D aniel Handler, or going by his pen name, Lemony Snicket, is a well-known author who has largely devoted his career in many other areas such as film and music. This article was a humorous read and very different from the other articles. It was a r

ecollection of his experience at one point in his life and with this expeience, came the emergance of a very valuable message.

O ne of the sentences that stuck in my mind the most was, "People know I have a lot of money — there’s no way to hide it, and I’m irritated by those people who have a lot of money but pretend they don’t have a lot of money, not really, not when you compare them to some other people." I have friends who are more well-off than the average teenager, but that's because I'm comparing him/her to my lifestyle. If I compared my lifestyle with someone who lives with his/her parents who have 4 other siblings and one grandparent renting a house in the cheaper parts of the city I live in, they would assume that I was rich. It really all depends on how you compare yourself to others. I have a couple of friends who, in my perspective are more well-off than me. They live in the most weathiest parts of the city and their parents bought them a new and expensive car for university. Or what about my other friend, whose parents own a chain of fast food restaurants, but don't like to broadcast that information to everyone he meets on the streets? Why do some people hide it? Is it because they don't want people to use them for their money, or is it because they don't want people to treat them differently and think that they are rich snobs?

I t's funny how society works. Maybe this particular friend of mine did not want others to view hiim differently. "Your parents can buy you anything, why do you need to find a job?" "You're such a spoiled brat," etc. etc. But then there are those of us who WANT to appear wealthy. What about all those fake designer bags? Why do we buy them? Possibly because we want to mimic celebrities who have the money to buy Gucci pouches, Dolce and Gabanna sunglasses or Seven jeans. I think many of us want to create an illusion, a status that reflects a "classy" and "cool" identity to others. And by doing that, it will make us look, and FEEL like a wealthy and glamorous celebrity.

J ust the other day I came upon a facebook group and someone posted a post telling another member to speak to him when he's not poor and to give up trying to defend his "social-economic class" and to wear Burberry. What does this all mean? I was angry after reading his comments. That's how our society works. Class segregation. You're poor, I'm rich there's an invisible barrier between us and you and I know it's there. I think many of us want what we can't have - usually, something we can't afford. And this feeling increases when other people give off that "I'm richer, you're poor. Don't talk to me." It reminds me of when we were little and the bratty bully teases the his/her fellow classmate and says, "na na na na na naaaa, you can't have this." I think this is what makes other people want to create that status, because those who are richer block themselves from associating with those who are poor.

H andler also points out that we aways want others

who are more wealthy to pay, "This is why, maybe, there are so many noble causes and so few of them are well financed: we all want other people to write the checks — they’re richer than we are." This was a very interesting point and I do agree with Handler. Money is so powerful in our society and we hoard it like a little kid who doesn't want to share his chocolate bars with his sister, "It's mine, get your own chocolate bar!" I wonder how we can ease this class gap. All I know is that it is a serious issue in many, many directions.