Current location:	Toronto
Current mood:	calm

Spoilage meme…

Gakked from kightp.

This is a list of things that the ownership of which is supposed to indicate one’s level of spoilage. A score of 40 is supposed to indicate that you’re spoiled. I’ve put some commentary next to them.

Do you have:

your own cell phone

1

a television in your bedroom

2

an iPod

3

Or other digital music player, I assume. But I have the real deal.

a photo printer

I’m guessing this means one of those 4”×6” printers just used for making prints, not a generic colour inkjet.

your own phone line

This one seems a little odd. I have not counted it because I think that it’s for multiperson households who have private lines for members of the household. I have had this in the past, but I do not now. See “your own cell phone” for details.

TiVo or a generic digital video recorder

4

Yes. I could almost count this double, since our monthly condominimum fees include the use of the DVR for free.

high-speed internet access (i.e., not dialup)

5

a surround sound system in bedroom

DVD player in bedroom

6

at least a hundred DVDs

a childfree bathroom

7

No children.

your own in-house office

a pool

8½

I live in a condominimum. It’s a building-community pool, so I’m counting as ½.

a guest house

a game room

a queen-size bed or larger

9½

a stocked bar

10½

“Bar” isn’t the right word. It is, however, a well-stocked liquor cabinet.

a working dishwasher

an icemaker

a working washer and dryer

11½

more than 20 pairs of shoes

at least ten things from a designer store

expensive sunglasses I’m not counting my prescription sunglasses. My high prescription skews any cost consideration.

framed original art (not lithographs or prints)

Egyptian cotton sheets or towels

a multi-speed bike

a gym membership

12½

large exercise equipment at home

your own set of golf clubs

a pool table

13

The condo has a billiards room. Again, counting as ½.

a tennis court

14

I’m counting this as full because I have winter tennis club membership, summer tennis club membership, and the condominium owns a tennis court.

local access to a lake, large pond, or the sea

15

Does Lake Ontario really count? It is only about 500m from my door.</dt>

your own pair of skis

enough camping gear for a weekend trip in an isolated area

a boat

a jet ski

a neighborhood committee membership

a beach house or a vacation house/cabin

wealthy family members

two or more family cars

a walk-in closet or pantry

a yard [sort of]

a hammock

a personal trainer

Soon. Have much too much weight to lose.

good credit

expensive jewelry

a designer bag that required being on a waiting list to get

at least $100 cash in your possession right now

more than two credit cards bearing your name (not counting gas cards or debit cards)

16

a stock portfolio

passport

17

Two, actually, one for each citizenship.

a horse

a trust fund (either for you or created by you)

private medical insurance

18

This is supplementary. Unlike most folks who take this test, I am covered by a government plan that works. It’s nice being Canadian. And yes, that makes me “spoiled”, too. :)

a college degree, and no outstanding student loans

19

Paid off four years ago. But I’ve been out of college now for ten years. They’d best be paid off.

Do you:

shop for non-needed items for yourself (like clothes, jewelry, electronics) at least once a week

do your regular grocery shopping at high-end or specialty stores

pay someone else to clean your house, do dishes, or launder your clothes (not counting dry-cleaning)

go on weekend mini-vacations

20

Not every weekend, but often enough.

send dinners back with every flaw

wear perfume or cologne (not body spray)

21

regularly get your hair styled or nails done in a salon

have a job but don’t need the money OR

stay at home with little financial sacrifice

pay someone else to cook your meals

pay someone else to watch your children or walk your dogs

regularly pay someone else to drive you

expect a gift after you fight with your partner

Are you or have you been:

an only child

married/partnered to a wealthy person

baffled/surprised when you don’t get your way

been on a cruise Not yet.

traveled out of the country

22

Yes. I’m a military brat and have lived in Europe and Japan, and I’ve emigrated to Canada from the U.S. Additionally, I’ve traveled for pleasure.

met a celebrity

22½

Yes, but most Americans wouldn’t know them. I’m only counting has ½ because it was at the Word on the Street in Toronto, where you’re supposed to meet celebrities..

been to the Caribbean

23½

Yes. Cuba.

been to Europe

24½

Yes. Going back this summer. I also lived there for 2½ years.

been to Hawaii

been to New York

25½

Yes. Going back in May. Of course, my brother now lives there, so…

eaten at the space needle in Seattle This would probably include anything similar, such as the CN Tower in Toronto.

been to the Mall of America

been on the Eiffel tower in Paris

26½

been on the Statue of Liberty in New York

moved more than three times because you wanted to

27½

Including intra-city moves. I’m guessing that relocations because of one’s parent’s military service don’t count.

dined with local political figures

been to both the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast

28½

Well, isn’t this a nicely limiting question. I have been to beaches on both sides of the Atlantic [Europe, the U.S., and Cuba], the North Sea, the Gulf Coast of the U.S., and on both sides of the Pacific [the U.S. and Japan]. I have not yet made it to the Canadian coasts.)

Did you:

go to another country for your honeymoon

29

I will be, so I’ll count as ½.

hire a professional photographer for your wedding or party

My fiancée’s cousin has done professional photography in the past and will be doing the “official” photography. We’re using disposable cameras on the tables for everything else. Not counting.

take riding or swimming lessons as a child

30

The swimming lessons were inexpensive as a military brat on base. However, I’ll also count the golf lessons and the racquetball lessons and the piano lessons I had.

attend private school

31

have a Sweet 16 birthday party thrown for you

The thing is, I know that I have a lot of privilege. There’s privilege that I have which isn’t recorded here. In our two person household, we have three working computers. It was four until January. It’ll be four again when I buy my new laptop later this year (until the current laptop dies). We have a laser printer and a colour inkjet, although the latter is currently out of commission. We have dozens of LPs and CDs. We have hundreds of books. We both have iPods. We both work at jobs that we love, and get paid incredible amounts of money for it. I was able to buy quality appliances a few years back when we needed a new refrigerator and stove. We’re going to New York to see family in May, going to Europe for 17 days this summer, I’m going to a conference in Denver this October, getting married in November, and going on another trip (the “honeymoon”) around Christmas.

I’m not trying to brag here. I don’t give as much to charity as I should, but I try not to throw away things that other people can use. I donate things I no longer need—at least semiannually—to Goodwill or other programs that provide for people in need. Am I spoiled? No. Even though I have a lot of stuff, I am not spoiled. I don’t take any of it for granted. And that is what makes people who are spoiled, spoiled.