From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.

Bold the true statements.
1. Father went to college
2. Father finished college
3. Mother went to college
4. Mother finished college
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home. (Most of which belonged to me)
9. Were read children’s books by a parent.
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18.
11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18.
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs.
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs.
16. Went to a private high school
17. Went to summer camp
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18.
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels.
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18.
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them.
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child.
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house.
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home.
25. You had your own room as a child.
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18.
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course.
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school.
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16.
31. Went on a cruise with your family.
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family.
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family.

Appetizer
What was your first “real” job? My first real job didn’t happen until about a year ago. Dad never let me work in high school and I was much to busy with stuff when I started college. It wasn’t until my last full year of coursework that I started working. And that work, as you know, was at a day care.
Soup
Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity? Driving home to Pernell sparks more creativity in me than anything else that I’ve found. It’s amazing. It kinda washes over as I drive down the interstate and through the tiny towns on the highway that leads to my home. Plus, the grayer the sky is, the better.
Salad
Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when… I receive unwanted attention.
Main Course
What values did your parents instill in you? All the values that I have. I think that’s a really weird question and one that’s too complicated to answer, especially when you grew up with and still have a lot of “values.” My parents raised me to be a good, honest, caring, and kind person. They taught me about the love of Christ.
Dessert
Name 3 fads from your teenage years. Goodness. I wasn’t much of a fad follower. Umm…glitter jeans. Tamagotchi. Boy bands? Could those be considered a fad? Because my 14th year was NOTHING but boy bands. Back when they got really popular again.

So, I was raised with some beliefs that not many people share, myself included, but I just want to preface this by saying that I respect anyone who does hold these beliefs. Including my parents. Anyway, while I was growing up we never saw movies in the theater. I say never but I actually saw two when I was younger. Most movies I have seen in a theater have been in the past 4-5 years. This means I haven’t seen very many. And most of the ones I HAVE seen were pretty awful. Here goes!

The Thirteen (Give or Take) Movies I’ve Seen In A Theater 1. Pocahontas (1995) 2. Inspector Gadget (1999) 3. The Prince & Me (2004) 4. The Notebook (2004) 5. The Phantom of the Opera (2004) 6. In Good Company (2004) 7. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) 8. The Ring Two (2005) 9. Spanglish (2004) 10. Wimbledon (2004) 11. Finding Neverland (2004) 12. Just Like Heaven (2005) 13. John Tucker Must Die (2006) Others: (I’ll add them as I think of them) Dirty Dancing (2007 - 20th Anniversary Re-release)

I thought I would let you all know what my Thursday Thirteen is going to be next week so that I can, you know, create a buzz. You won’t want to miss this one.

Thirteen Songs I Would Sing If I Were Ever On American Idol

But that’s about as likely as “I’m-A-Dinner-Jacket” and our fearless leader having brunch tomorrow, followed by a round of mini-golf. Still, be here next Wednesday around 5 p.m.!