CROSSING THE LINE

**** IS IT HARDER TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS RACIAL LINES OR ECONOMIC LINES?  HARD QUESTION .

I GREW UP IN A RURAL AREA WITH A CASTE SYSTEM THE HINDU WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF . YOUR SOCIAL CLASS OR STANDING DETERMINED SO MANY THINGS .

WHO YOU RAN AROUND WITH , WHO YOU DATED , AND CERTAIN CHURCHES CATERED TO DIFFERENT SOCIAL GROUPS .

EVEN THE EXPECTATIONS  OF YOUR PERFORMANCE IN SCHOOL WAS BASED ON YOUR SOCIAL CLASS . THE ELITES  SEEMED TO GET THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT IN  AWARDS AND THE SELECTION OF TEAMS AND GROUPS .

SPORTS WAS AN AREA WHERE ONE COULD JUMP THE CLASS BOUNDARY. ONE COULD GAIN SPECIAL TREATMENT IF HE WAS AN OUTSTANDING PLAYER . ACCEPTANCE IN GROUPS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN ATTAINABLE WAS COMMON .

THESE CLASS LINES WERE FIRM, RIGID, AND WELL DEFINED . EVERYONE KNEW WHERE HE STOOD .

HE KNOWS HIS PLACE WAS SAID IN PRAISE OF THOSE WHO DIDN'T ROCK THE BOAT OR CAUSE   TROUBLE . TO COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES OR MOVE ACROSS CLASS LINES WAS FROWNED UPON .

VIOLATION OF THE SOCIAL ORDER WAS A SERIOUS SIN . YOU MIGHT THINK I AM OVERSTATING THIS . BUT IN SPEAKING WITH FOUR CLASSMATES ABOUT AN UPCOMING REUNION THIS SUBJECT SURFACED .ALL DECIDED TO SKIP THE REUNION .

THINK ABOUT IT . HOW MANY LAWYERS DO YOU KNOW HANG OUT WITH THE GUYS THAT WORK ON THE GARBAGE TRUCK .

DO YOU KNOW ANY DOCTORS WHO SOCIALIZE WITH THE GUYS WHO ROTATE THE TIRES OR CHANGE OIL DOWN AT WAL-MART ?

IT IS HARD TO CROSS THOSE SOCIAL LINES . JUST LOOK AT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD . YOU CAN DRIVE DOWN POPLAR FROM COLLIERVILLE TO THE RIVER AND SEE EVERY SOCIAL CLASS THAT EXISTS .

STATS SAY MEN MARRY EQUAL TO OR SLIGHTLY DOWN IN SOCIAL CLASS . WOMEN MARRY EQUAL TO OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE IN SOCIAL CLASS .

MARRIAGES ACROSS SEVERAL SOCIAL CLASSES HAVE A HIGH FAILURE RATE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR TRAGIC RESULTS .

CHECK OUT TEXAS EXAMPLES PRICE & VICKIE DANIEL OR CULLEN & PRISCILLA DAVIS TO SEE WHAT CAN HAPPEN .

NO , WE DON'T LIKE TO DISCUSS SOCIAL CLASS BUT BE HONEST . LOOK AT YOUR FRIENDS , YOUR ACTIVITIES , &YOUR LIFE  TO SEE HOW DEFINED BY CLASS .

HAVE YOU FELT OUT OF PLACE , LIKE YOU DIDN'T BELONG ?  I DON'T HAVE ANY BUSINESS GOING TO OAK HALL TO SHOP . THAT IS NOT FOR ME . SOME THINGS ARE NOT A GOOD FIT .

I THINK SOCIAL LINES ARE HARDER THAN RACIAL LINES TO CROSS . BOTH LINES ARE PRETTY DARN HIGH .

BOTTOM LINE - ALL THESE YEARS AND I STILL DON'T KNOW MY PLACE .
I DO KNOW I PREFER PEPSI TO PINOT  AND A MOON PIE TO CAVIAR .

UNTIL NEXT TIME I'M LOOKING FOR MY PLACE!!!!!!!!!