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Should i be ashamed?

heh heh honestly people like you piss me off most of the time (i'm not a big fan of spoiled kids my families well off now but we didnt start that way) but since you have the good grace to be embarassed i'm cool with it :).

i'm driving and 92 mercury tracer it's a beater and i love it (in some ways i think you might be missing out on the beater part of life...if you know what i mean, it can be fun to have crappy stuff you trade around.

I've never really liked getting anything off my parents (even when i was younger) which is good cause they arent big on giving stuff away to their kids. I'm an independant person and part of that independance is having stuff that is incontrivertably MINE even if that means i pay for it.
 
i've never really been comfortable with being handed things. at least not from my mom, who knows what that money could otherwise be going towards. rich uncle (which i dont have) maybe. i'd like to be given the chance to earn them, hoping i can get a job once college apps are in. hopefully i can reach a point where i can buy myself nice things like an X3 some day.
 
bobscliff said:
i've never really been comfortable with being handed things. at least not from my mom, who knows what that money could otherwise be going towards. rich uncle (which i dont have) maybe. i'd like to be given the chance to earn them, hoping i can get a job once college apps are in. hopefully i can reach a point where i can buy myself nice things like an X3 some day.
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Don't worry, you will eventually get that point. :) Just sit back and enjoy what you have now, nothing wrong with that. :)


Of course, if it would make you feel better, you could always donate some money to www.apple.com and buy yourself a nice new Mac Pro or something. ;) :D
 
as long as you're grateful and modest about it then you should have no worries or feel embarassed... if you tout and flaunt it then that not good, and seeing that you feel this way, i say enjoy it, you deserve it
 
Nothing to feel guilty about, but if it makes you feel better find some way to give back to the community to say thank you for the good fortune. Volunteers are always needed.
 
when i was in high school i was "forced" to drive a Mercedes Benz C-class for half of my Senior year because of some kind of deal my dad had worked out with the dealer on two cars + tax write-offs + older car trade in, etc....

did it feel wierd? yep.

did i feel ashamed? nope.

i had had a job since i was 14, did pretty well in school, and my dad came from nothing and worked his ass off to be able to afford to buy 2 Mercedes (one for me and one for him.) Also when he asked me what i wanted for a car i suggested a Civic. Had i demanded a Benz i should have been beaten over the head with a silver spoon. Now i work my ass off and have a Jetta that i paid for instead (i cannot justify spending a lot of money on a car - so many other things that are more valuable)

there is no shame in having money. there is only shame in thinking you are entitled to it.
 
I haven't read all the responses. But, from what you say, you are grateful and humble for what you have. That's all that matters. Just take care of the car, give people rides, help them out when you can.

And, every once in awhile, take out on the four lane and let 'er rip! :D
 
To the original post, no, don't feel ashamed at all. My father was a doctor, so of course I always got pegged as "The doctor's kid", but I learned early on that you can feel like weasel because you have been blessed with nice things, you can be a total jerk about it, or option three, you can be appreciative, thankful, and enjoy your nice stuff. You do have to walk a little cleaner than some folks, because you never want to come off as a brat, but other than that, enjoy it. There will be jerks who are jealous, but those are the people that would also be jerks if they were in your shoes.
 
I wish I could afford an X3, though I doubt I could fit into it.. it doesn't seem like the leg-roomiest of vehicles. I guess I'd say, don't let the guilt eat at you. There will ALWAYS be someone who hates you for no particular reason, as long as you don't lord your financial status over people, those who are understanding will understand.
 
Personally, i wouldn't have it. That is because i dont particularly like the car and would end up paying for fuel. As well as that, i would not use the space that it is intended for but if you have it, use it
 
Just be grateful. I'm very blessed too. My parents have been able to provide me with a lot, including a college education in New York City. I can't help but feel a tad bit of guilt but I mostly feel grateful.

e
 
Ashamed isn't the way to go. For a while I thought we'd all be a lot better off if we just felt more shame. Now I think that was a pretty shallow thing to think.

I guess this may echo others in this thread, but if you have opportunity, you also have responsibility. You seem to sense this instinctually, so act on it. I'm pretty sure I won't get near universal agreement on this, but if you have, it's incumbent upon you to use your resources to help those who don't have. We're all trying to get through this together, even if it's easier for some than others.
 
How about selling it off, buying a Camry, and using the leftover cash to treat your friends or take everyone on a holiday or sponsor new furniture/equipment for wherever you guys hang out (your garage?) or something. If I were your pal, THAT would be cool.
 
Y'know, some people are born in Africa - some are born in America - some are born in cambodia...the list goes on.

This is real fortune. Being able to have these nice things are just materials. The fact that you can look around you at everything (not just your car) and say "You know what, things could be a Hell of a lot worse" will keep you grounded. Because the chances are, that for the majority of the worlds population, they are worse.

What I'm saying, is that in the same way as we shouldn't feel guilty for living in a democratic country, you shouldn't feel bad about your car. It really is all meaningless when it comes down to it.

You come into the world with nothing. You die with even less. Why the hell' not enjoy it?!
 
Nah that's good. I'm privileged but don't have a car, i earn £20 a week looking after my cousins pub yet I have college and university education, 2 macs, a 2007FPW display and other crap coming out my ears. My parents always drew (draw?) the line at a car, then again it is the UK and everything vaguely associated with a car is very expensive.
Be grateful. but 17 and driving? I would not trust any 17 year old I know with a car. any.

There was a mature kid at school, but one day he sped in his car and died horrifically. AFAIK it was his first and only mistake he publicly made.
 
I wouldnt be ashamed, but at the same time I would make sure not to shove it in peoples faces or be too bragish about it. I have some friends who are quite wealthy (I'm talking MILLIONS and MILLIONS), but to talk with them or hang out with them you would never know. Sure, they wear nice designer clothes, and drive BMWs and Lexus cars, but they have a way of not projecting that "Im filthy rich and better than you, and I whipe my azz with hundred dollar bills" thing that many wealthy people do. I always thought that if I ever was able to be that successfull, I would want to present myself like them. Just regular joes who still act and relate to the average-income person.
 
Don’t be ashamed, a quarter of the kids in central/northern NJ drive cars that are just as nice as yours and most of the time their parents actually bought the car for them.

By the way, I can testify…I speak from experience. As long as you don't shove in others' faces, be happy to drive a nice car and have fun with it.
 
Haha! Vroom vroom! No reason to be ashamed, lucky bloke! I'll trade you if you just can't stand it.;)
 
mate i feel the same way. i am your age and drive a BMW as well. Sometimes u feel very spoilt compared to teachers and others. But hey, you were granted with the luckiness and treasure it and appreciate how lucky you are! you are very fortunate and must appreciate that your parents worked hard for you to have what you have. None of this selling it etc etc if your happy driving it, then continue to do so, its something that may not last and you need to enjoy the most of ur time with it.
 
bobscliff said:
I drive a BMW X3. I am 17. I didn't work for it, I dont pay for the gas, insurance or upkeep. I ended up being the sole driver because the old car I had broke down so i got my mom's car. I see people taking the bus who've worked their whole lives and i'm just handed this nice car. i feel embarrassed when kids ask me what kind of car i drive. It doesn't even get good mileage. sometimes i wish i just had a camry or something. can anyone relate? i don't want to start a class war, just want to hear some opinions.
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Sometimes life sucks, but you've got to carry on.
 
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