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Richard Jernigan -> RE: Kurt Vonnegut (Dec. 11 2013 1:45:47)
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Vonnegut is one of my favorites.
Teachers' social status:
My ex-wife is of Norwegian ancestry on her mother's side. We went to Norway to introduce our kids to their cousins. My wife had been there before, and formed a close friendship with one of her contemporaries who was a high school teacher. The cousin's husband was headmaster of a different high school. They lived in a beautiful 19th century condominium building in the center of Oslo, with large apartments. Theirs was nicely furnished.
My ex-wife's Norwegian relatives are in part one of the oldest land- and ship-owning families. I speculated that the husband must have some family money as well, to afford such a nice place. My wife filled me in on the details why her cousin was not in the line of inheritance, and said she was quite certain that they lived on their two salaries.
I said something to an older, prosperous family member about what a beautiful apartment the teachers had, leading up to my comment that American teachers could not come near affording such a place. He had lived in America, managing the American branch of a Norwegian corporation.
"Yes," he replied, "I was puzzled about that. What could be more important than teaching the children?"
RNJ
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