Flying First Class

I'm a white guy, so it's incumbent on me to be careful when I write about issues related to race. It's similar to when straight guys opine about gay issues. I'm rather cynical when I read it, because unless you're directly affected, it's difficult to know what it's like. (<--- that's a disclaimer)

Obama has a butler on Air Force One. That gentleman is black. It must be a great honor for him to work for the President, not because Obama is black also, but I would imagine that he is quite pleased that he's working for a black guy, and not another old white guy. People root for their own team, and it's nice to see somebody succeed.

Whatever you think of Obama's politics, we must all agree that it's good for the nation from a purely race perspective. Obama's huge popularity surely makes him a roll model for every minority race.

Who were the black roll models before? Lebron James? 50 Cent?

Obama succeeded not because of race, and not because he can dunk or sell records. He did it in much the same way other black leaders such as Clarance Thomas and Condelleza Rice have done it. Academics, hard work, public service, leadership. These are things that all people can aspire to, and maybe there are young people out there now that have a realistic path to success. They don't have to hit a home run, or hit a 3 pointer. They can achieve by their efforts in academics and through work.

Jesse Jackson is not a roll model. Al Sharpton is not a roll model. They've played the politics of race for decades, exacerbating the problem instead of solving it. Our culture was established in racial inequity, and at some point, a line needs to be drawn. Obama drew that line.

I'm sure that somehow I'm being racist in saying that.. but it's just how I view it. It would be the same to me as if the President was gay.. removing the last barriers to achievement for millions of Americans. There would no longer be a built-in limitation.

It's true, Obama wasn't born in Compton, nor the white trash trailer park. He didn't have those severe barriers and pressures to conform to a destructive mentality. I hope this sends a tidal wave through the hoods of America, signaling what it means to be American.

...

And now I'm going to go into snob mode.. or elitist jerk I guess..

I know why rich people do very dishonest things to remain rich, or get richer. Wealth is addicting, and we've only had a small taste of it. It's damn good.

Notice the butler in the picture. There is a definite skill to high end service. His posture is exactly right. He's standing tall, shoulders slightly back and not squared to his client. His hands are clasped in a relaxed way at his waist. The body language is an art, and the good ones do it right without even thinking about it.

There is a game played in dialog as well. There are proscribed rolls, and it's entirely class driven. It's almost eerie the way you can fall into the proper roll, even though you've had no experience in it. The rich guy behaves a certain way, speaks a certain way, has a certain body language and appearance. All of it is intended to reinforce the class rolls. I'm wealthy, you serve me.. so to speak. Somehow it has evolved due to the requirement to maintain distinctions in class. Wealthy people often base a significant amount of self-worth on the idea that they're better than others. Class divisions must be maintained to allow that to continue.

The staff knows that as well, and they know how and what to say. It's a job, and wealthy people are quite willing to pay to maintain the illusion that they are better than somebody else. It's not overt. Nobody thinks about how to behave in their respective rolls, the environment just seems to draw you into it.

It's hard not to start feeling like you're better than them, which leads to the stereotype of rich snobs. However, for the staff, that is their job, they know it, they do it well, and they get paid well for it. Quite often, wealthy people feel guilty for their condescension and the tips can get very large. It's like paying to feel less an asshole. It's something of a game.

One interesting thing though. Living a lifestyle of wealth is not unlike being middle class, or even poor. All the activities are the same. The difference is in the quality of the ingredients that go into it.

I'm reminded of when we went to Hawaii for my 40th birthday. We flew first class (as usual). The driver met us at the terminal, and took our bags and us to the limo. It was warm of course, and there was cold water and chilled towels with peppermint scents in the car. We got to the 5 star hotel and the valets (3 of them) opened the doors, greeted us by name, got all the bags.. and so on. That was the level of service before we even checked into our first hotel on the trip. The entire trip was that way.. personal drivers, helicopter tours, all-day spa treatments.. and on and on. It cost a lot of money.

It's exactly the same as any vacation that anybody takes anywhere else, except the quality of the events during the trip are magnified.. a lot. John and I came from solid middle class backgrounds.. and now we do that shit on a regular basis. It's impossible not to feel full of yourself sometimes.. as if somehow you're better than that valet that opened the door. It is unavoidable.

Ultimately, being wealthy doesn't get you anything real that anybody else does not have. Everyone has a certain set of things in their lives. Having money just means that your things are of better quality. That's not just in real goods, but in services as well.. in everything that affects you from day to day.

That's how wealthy people see it. The super rich, sometimes different. You know you're absurdly wealthy when all of that shit is meaningless to you. I doubt we'll ever get to that point (but I'm cracking the whip on John all the time), but we try to remember.. the only difference in the things that we do are the quality of the ingredients.. nothing else.. nothing special.. nothing better than anybody else.

And we often violate the rules of how the clients are supposed to behave.. but like I told John a couple weeks ago.. I'm getting used to it. It's nice.. We flew coach to Vegas last month because first class was full. We were miserable.. so get out there and raise the pimp hand, biatch!