(source) - not the wedding
I helped set up for my first wedding with my new job at a florist this past Saturday. The reception was to be held at the home, and tents were set up on the property. The home was in Ladue, which is one of the more ritzy parts of St. Louis, left over from the 1900s when St. Louis' economy was booming. The house reminded me of the houses in Jane Austen novels, complete with servants' staircases, a small kitchen, and dining rooms with mural painted walls. I hadn't been in this close of proximity to this much wealth in a long time.
As I am sorting through my education at Mizzou, and piecing it into my daily life, I can't help but think of the emphasis that was put on the cultural power of class differences, and how true it really is. In Freakonomics (I think, or the Tipping Point), they talked about how really the only consistent indicator of how well a child will do in school is how educated their parents were. The parents show the child what to appreciate, what is valuable to learn about, etc.
All of the children in this family had attended a wealthy prep school in Ladue and went to Amherst in Massachusetts for college. Wow. Looking around their house, you could see the differences that class makes. Books on Winslow Homer were within easy reach in the drawing room. A book called "Test Your Cultural Literacy" was toilet reading. Really.
And I don't believe that any of that was posturing. The Bride was one of the most intelligent and collected people that I've interacted with in a long time. And it was her wedding day. She knew exactly what was supposed to go where and dealt with everyone with courtesy and kindness. She was inhuman.
I've been dealing with the emotional effects of having little to no extra money lately. I think I'm making it out to be a lot harder than it actually is, but I think there's a reason that the Bible mentions money being a popular idol. What constitutes having a good life?
I envy you
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