So it begins...
As you may know, I work for a university. It's one of the top ten universities in the nation (yep, I'm proud), so it's pretty pricey. Lot's of rich, snooty kids running around here. Them I don't mind. Today is graduation, so this campus is crawling with the scourge of society that I simply can not stand. Their parents.
We have some pretty rich people walking the campus these last two days. There is a sheik or two, plenty of WASPs, and lots of affluent Orientals (they are snappy dressers, I gotta tell ya). A celebrity or two will probably show up as well, along with their entourage. All walking around with their butts in the air waiting for them to be kissed. All thinking this University is blessed to have educated their child. And all suffering from Parent's Syndrome.
A little background on Parent's Syndrome. When we come out screaming, blind, wet, and cold, a parents job has just begun. They have to feed us, clothe us, rock us, and clean our butts. They teach us the fundamentals such as eating, drinking, pooping, and sleeping through the night. Slowly, through age and education, we begin to develop as individuals. We go to school, fall in love, get into sports, and decide our futures. Yet, not without the constant guidance (and critiquing) of our parents. They tell us what we can and cannot do, when we come home, who we see on a regular basis. Some are better at it than others, but most parents keep a constant leash on their children.
When we grow up and go away to college Parents get what is referred to as "Empty Nest Syndrome." This is actually the shock of finding out that their job is over. Their kids have dreams and aspirations of their own. That Princess and Junior have their own lives outside of the scope of parental control. Most parents find this very hard, so they cling to each and every facet of control they still have. These are their children, after all, and they are usually footing the bill for Princess and Junior college. So if they say jump, Princess and Junior still have to do it.
(In actuality, the second the cord is cut a child is independent from their parent. The growing process is just preparation for the child entering the world as an adult. Contrary to popular belief, children are not for the purpose of re-living the parents fantasies or dreams. They are not extensions of the parent, they have their own personalities. Once they stop shitting in a diaper, they aren't even children anymore. They are people, a lot of parents have a very hard time seeing them as such.)
Anyway, when Princess and Junior graduate from college, Mommy and Daddy have lost everything. There is no more control. Princess and Junior are going out into the world to sink or swim and the parents can't do a damn thing about it. The last official day of parental control is the day they graduate, and by golly, these parents are going to cling onto each and every second of it. This is parent's syndrome. They are losing their control, so they will try to control as much as they can in the short time they have left. All parents suffer from it, but it's the rich that take it to an obnoxious level.
They throw things like respect and manners out the window. They bark orders and expect them to be obeyed. Not just by their kids, but by everyone else within a three block radius. They are the PARENTS, Kings and Queens of the Universe. Hear the beating of the chests, hear the mighty roars. They still have to prove that they are the top dog. Unfortunately, anyone who looks as young as their child/children gets treated with the same rude disregard.
Like me.
For example: One year I was standing in the back of the courtyard watching the proceedings. I was standing by a door. A woman who looked to be in her 50's opens the door violently, hitting me in the process. She looks at me, registers my age, gives me the once over to register my monitory status, then turns away like I am a piece of trash. I'm a kid, she doesn't need to apologize to a child. If I had been closer to her age or dripping in diamonds she would have probably said excuse me. I'll never know. What I do know is I followed the bitch and when she bent down to talk to a young child, I ran her ass over. Do you think I turned to say excuse me? Oh, I turned all right, but I looked at her like she was an invalid and walked away.
These parents push people aside instead of saying excuse me. They demand directions and don't say thank you. They walk through a door that is being opened for them without so much as a nod of gratitude. They give everyone The Look. You know, the I've-just-smelled-a-dead-fish look. When undergrads bring their parents to my building to show them their work (those that will be staying on as grad students), they take great care in not touching anyone or anything, like we're all diseased. And God forbid if their child didn't make straight A's in every subject. It must be the fault of the professor, because little Johnny most certainly couldn't have failed a class on his own.
I detest being here during graduation. It's heartbreaking to watch so many student's day of glory being trampled by overbearing parents.
We have some pretty rich people walking the campus these last two days. There is a sheik or two, plenty of WASPs, and lots of affluent Orientals (they are snappy dressers, I gotta tell ya). A celebrity or two will probably show up as well, along with their entourage. All walking around with their butts in the air waiting for them to be kissed. All thinking this University is blessed to have educated their child. And all suffering from Parent's Syndrome.
A little background on Parent's Syndrome. When we come out screaming, blind, wet, and cold, a parents job has just begun. They have to feed us, clothe us, rock us, and clean our butts. They teach us the fundamentals such as eating, drinking, pooping, and sleeping through the night. Slowly, through age and education, we begin to develop as individuals. We go to school, fall in love, get into sports, and decide our futures. Yet, not without the constant guidance (and critiquing) of our parents. They tell us what we can and cannot do, when we come home, who we see on a regular basis. Some are better at it than others, but most parents keep a constant leash on their children.
When we grow up and go away to college Parents get what is referred to as "Empty Nest Syndrome." This is actually the shock of finding out that their job is over. Their kids have dreams and aspirations of their own. That Princess and Junior have their own lives outside of the scope of parental control. Most parents find this very hard, so they cling to each and every facet of control they still have. These are their children, after all, and they are usually footing the bill for Princess and Junior college. So if they say jump, Princess and Junior still have to do it.
(In actuality, the second the cord is cut a child is independent from their parent. The growing process is just preparation for the child entering the world as an adult. Contrary to popular belief, children are not for the purpose of re-living the parents fantasies or dreams. They are not extensions of the parent, they have their own personalities. Once they stop shitting in a diaper, they aren't even children anymore. They are people, a lot of parents have a very hard time seeing them as such.)
Anyway, when Princess and Junior graduate from college, Mommy and Daddy have lost everything. There is no more control. Princess and Junior are going out into the world to sink or swim and the parents can't do a damn thing about it. The last official day of parental control is the day they graduate, and by golly, these parents are going to cling onto each and every second of it. This is parent's syndrome. They are losing their control, so they will try to control as much as they can in the short time they have left. All parents suffer from it, but it's the rich that take it to an obnoxious level.
They throw things like respect and manners out the window. They bark orders and expect them to be obeyed. Not just by their kids, but by everyone else within a three block radius. They are the PARENTS, Kings and Queens of the Universe. Hear the beating of the chests, hear the mighty roars. They still have to prove that they are the top dog. Unfortunately, anyone who looks as young as their child/children gets treated with the same rude disregard.
Like me.
For example: One year I was standing in the back of the courtyard watching the proceedings. I was standing by a door. A woman who looked to be in her 50's opens the door violently, hitting me in the process. She looks at me, registers my age, gives me the once over to register my monitory status, then turns away like I am a piece of trash. I'm a kid, she doesn't need to apologize to a child. If I had been closer to her age or dripping in diamonds she would have probably said excuse me. I'll never know. What I do know is I followed the bitch and when she bent down to talk to a young child, I ran her ass over. Do you think I turned to say excuse me? Oh, I turned all right, but I looked at her like she was an invalid and walked away.
These parents push people aside instead of saying excuse me. They demand directions and don't say thank you. They walk through a door that is being opened for them without so much as a nod of gratitude. They give everyone The Look. You know, the I've-just-smelled-a-dead-fish look. When undergrads bring their parents to my building to show them their work (those that will be staying on as grad students), they take great care in not touching anyone or anything, like we're all diseased. And God forbid if their child didn't make straight A's in every subject. It must be the fault of the professor, because little Johnny most certainly couldn't have failed a class on his own.
I detest being here during graduation. It's heartbreaking to watch so many student's day of glory being trampled by overbearing parents.
posted by Barbarian02003 | Thursday, May 19, 2005
2 Comments:
Rock on!
I lived in St. Louis for a time, and worked at the Chase Park Plaza, which if you aren't familiar is a pretty upscale hotel. I worked at Eau Bistro and Cafe Eau. The whole emphasis was going out of our way and bending over backwards to make these rich demanding people happy, which threw me off. They are already happy, they have everything as far as materials they could ever want. I always worked to make the regular joes out for a special evening happy.
F* rich snobs.
awwwwww, tut tut.... don't fret your purdy littlle head so...
Now that their parents are done running them over, the whole damn world is readdy to run those doey eyed little innocents down...
plus, if they get a job like yours, they can always look forward to being run down by other people's parents.
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