Reflection on my Educational Reflection

Jess, I been trying to figure out how to address this since we left class yesterday.  I truly hope that, by saying that the women in Lutrell's piece would mock Thompkins, I didn't give you the impression that I think that you are mock-able in the same way, or that I think that your privelege makes you unable to function in the world at large, or that you're in danger of not becoming a fully formed person. or any of those things.  In fact, one of the things that I am learning is that privelege does not always mean being stuck up, out of touch, naive, or lacking in common sense. 

I am learning this largely through my interaction with you and the other students in our e-sem.  I came into this experience having been warned by a few other McBrides that my status as "other", as working class, as older, as non traditional, etc., would cause the traditional students to view me as undesirable, as flawed, as something to be pittied.  This has absolutely not been my experience so far.  In fact, I have gone back to the McBride lounge after every class full of excitement over the fact that nearly every single traditional student I have encountered has been open to me, wlecoming me and treating me like an equal.  You've certainly been a huge part of that, and that is just one of the things that makes you different from the self that Thompkins presents in the selection that we read.  

Also, to be clear, the women in Lutrell's piece (at least the ones from Fishtown) would mock me too.  I know this, because they actually have.  One of the ugly, insulating truths of working class Philly is that any gains that one makes toward financial or educational growth is automatically seen as suspicious and worthy of scorn.