Classmates

Just for kicks, I decided to look up several of my childhood classmates, none of whom I have been in contact with for at least a decade or two. It appears that while the superachievers have gone quite far, most of us ended up being typical working stiffs. :) None of us have moved past being upper middle-class and very few of us appear to have permanently escaped our birth country (I wasn't born here). Most of us did study overseas but the majority returned home* or to the neighbouring country to their south.

Compared to the norm, I'm undereducated with just a Bachelor's degree whereas a surprising number went on to their Master's. Practically everyone is or has been married and successfully procreated at least once. Everyone seems to be working in one of four industries: medicine, information technology, law or business administration. Very few of the men still have a full head of hair. :) Most appear to have either gotten pudgy or gaunt. It's a little shocking to discover that most of us look so...worn out. I didn't manage to track down any of my women classmates except for one. I suspect that's because they've gotten married and settled down as homemakers. From a casual glance, I'm behind the curve compared with these folks. They're better educated and have probably accumulated a very respectable pile of savings.

However, it's not quite so clear-cut if you know that part of the world. They're probably working their fingers to the bone. Getting a postgraduate degree was probably a prerequisite for senior positions within most companies. That pile of savings? Most of it will go to their kids, who they will send to study overseas in the hopes that they will emigrate elsewhere. Decent healthcare there is practically non-existent although the ones who became doctors will disagree with that.

I'm amused by the results of my casual search. It reminded me just how different the two cultures are. I'm quite happy just having a Bachelor's degree although I shall be resuming my postgrad work when time and money allow me to do so. Most companies I've worked for here are meritocracies; your paper qualifications might get you a job in the company but if you don't perform above and beyond the norm, you'll never rise up the corporate ladder. We do have savings for the education of our kids, but there are student loans here if necessary. Over there, there are no student loans and if you can't pay your way, you won't be accepted no matter how bright you are. We have provincial healthcare here and the standards of care are, well, at first-world levels as compared to third-world back there. Lastly, I'm female...which means I have a snowball's chance in heck of making it to upper or even middle management over there regardless of how good I am.

Yes, folks - it's a very different world back there. Did I mention I love Canada? And that I am eternally thankful to have had the opportunity to remain here and be a citizen of our amazing country? Had I returned, I would not be alive right now. Let's just say that the standards of medical care back there would not have accommodated my medical needs.

A slightly disturbing note: my circle of friends and acquaintances back in school were the leaders of our student body. Practically all but one of us were prefects, which was significant back then. Compared to the rest of the student body, I suspect each and every one of us did amazingly well. How do I know this? Well, I couldn't find the rest of my classmates, the ones who I wasn't close to. There are many reasons for that, the primary one being that they simply don't have an online presence or breadcrumbs of any kind. Being disconnected in today's world is...fatal.

*My home is Canada, the country I grew to love and swore allegiance to, not my birth country.