Welcome to this edition of The Preppy Chronicles, in this edition I will explore the mystical nature of the pearl and the power and position that it holds in the lives of every day Preppies and WASPs.
To understand the pearl is to understand its formation
To understand the WASP and the Preppy is to understand our formation.
Once you have understood the mystery of the pearl, you will then have the key to unlock the very soul of the WASP and Preppy.
Nature conceals Her mystery by Her essential grandeur. Albert E.
What I am about to lay before you for your consideration, is so simple that it will seem overly so but do not be fooled. If you are a WASP and reading this you will no doubt agree with my supposition, if a Preppy, you may or may not agree. For those that are neither, but are just curious to have a better understanding of what makes us tick, please accept what I have to offer as gospel.
Pearls are found inside a living creäture, an oyster. Pearls are the result of a biological process — the oyster’s way of protecting itself from foreign substances.
As the oyster grows in size, its shell must also grow. The mantle is an organ that produces the oyster’s shell, using minerals from the oyster’s food. The oyster the creates a substance known as nacre . Nacre lines the inside of the shell.
The process of formation of a natural pearl begins when a foreign substance slips into the oyster between the mantle and the shell, which irritates the mantle. It’s kind of like the oyster getting a splinter. The oyster’s natural reaction is to cover up that irritant to protect itself. The mantle begins to layer the same nacre substance over the irritant that it used to create the shell. This eventually forms a pearl
So, a pearl is a foreign substance covered with layers of nacre. Most pearls that we see in jewelry stores are nicely rounded objects, not all pearls turn out so well. Some pearls form in an uneven shape — called baroque pearls.
Thus, ends the lesson.
There is something about pearls-their air of cleanliness, their close association with femininity, their purity of color and form
that is at once very inviting yet imposing, inspirational to the point of madness, yet, given to sentiment and an overwhelming sense of stability.
Cut the pearl in two and you will discover rings similar to the rings of a tree. The rings or layers of necre refract light, it is this refraction, as the light travels through the layers that gives the pearl it’s luster. The more layers the pearl has the more it glows. Widely spaced layers of necre, a byproduct of warm water, refract the light more than ones with tightly packed layers.
In an earlier posting, I made mention that I believe that at the core level the passions and ultimately what drives the WASP is fundamentally different and at odds with the passions and drives of the Preppy. The WASP is about substance, the Preppy is about fluff.
Here is the key. Just as the pearl has layer upon layer upon layer of necre, so does the WASP have layer upon layer upon layer of tradition and breeding. The Preppy merely imitates the WASP such as the Moon merely imitates the Sun. It is the rings or layers that give the luster, each pearl is different and yet all constructed in the same way. The pearl is the only gem that needs no external polishing, its beauty is a direct result of its inner layers.
The simple fact of the matter is: that without the WASP the Preppy serves no purpose and would cease to matter. The Moon serves no purpose other than to reflect the Sun. So the Preppy exists to reflect the luster or if you will the glow of the WASP. ( The Traditions and Breeding ) Now I know that this is a very difficult pill to swallow if you are a preppy. Again at this time I think that the quote from Tad Friend will be of use.
The real difference between preppies and Wasps is not couture but outlook. Preppies are infantile and optimistic, forever stuck at age seventeen; Wasps emerge from the womb wrinkly and cautious, already vice presidents, already fifty-two.
I am stopping this post here.
I thought that I could put everything I wanted to cover in this the last of the three posts, but I can’t. I have given you a lot to digest. Please, go back and re-read the first two posts and re-read this one. The next part of this post will build upon an understanding and acceptance of the first three, from the very brief history, to Mr.Mikimoto and how he forever altered the world, to the inherent differences between the WASP and the Preppy.
In the next part of this post I will begin to explore the timelessness of the rituals and traditions surrounding the pearl in the life of a WASP and a Preppy.
I thank you for your kindness and patience in allowing me to present this to you in sections.
Please join me over at my sister site The Preppy Chronicles II
Thank you.
Always, Bumby
The Preppy Chronicles Edition II Vol. III Part III
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Bumby, Bumby, Bumby.
Sigh. There is gonna’ be some fur flying over this one, that much is obvious. The rest is somewhat more ephemeral. In theory I agree with the premise of the post, that part most likely to infuriate many readers. Yet practical examples demonstrate otherwise, at least in many instances. Perhaps all that is proven is that absolutes exist only in theory and in science.
As always, thoughts to ponder.
With hopes you enjoy a splendid New Year,
tp
@The Preppy Princess, HA. I believe that G.S. is quoted as saying ” The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off ”
The sad truth is, that we as WASPS have allowed the truth to be so watered down as to be almost unrecognizable. I am not saying that the world exists in a vacuum, but simply, that there are some truths that are just that… true. There are some very good reflections that should be noted. I think that the truth has been watered down because we have chosen ( this is our defect ) not to speak out. As long as we hold to our mission, WASPS will always win. The biggest downfall has been to think that the rest of the world does not matter that we are above; untouched.
It is only when you make the un-discussable…discussable that we can begin to move forward and as WASPS regain our sense of pride in who we are.
Always, Bumby
As an observer of culture, you draw a useful and much-appreciated distinction between WASPs and preppies. The fur is going to fly, as the Princess notes, mostly because many people who characterize themselves as preppies want very much to be WASPs, and imagine that with the purchase of a few years’ tuition at a prep school, plus the acquisition of some class indicators like pink clothing and pearls, they have therefore become honorary WASPs. This is not the case. You can’t buy a lifetime’s worth of exposure to the tastes, manners, values, goals, and thought processes common to WASP-hood, or the centuries of pressure and heritage from ancestors.
Andrea, thank you for your input.
Always, Bumby
Wow, I had no idea that pearls had this depth of meaning. Thank you for sharing these series of posts on the pearl and its connection to the meaning of being a WASP.
Despite your explanation of preps vs. WASPs, you still seem to have a level of respect for the prep. Is this because of their “reflecting” quality that they are tolerated? I don’t mean to insult anyone; I’m just trying to understand the thinking.
Am I remembering correctly that you have referred to yourself as a prep on occasion? If so, why would you do so if you are a WASP and there is such a huge difference between a prep and WASP? I feel like I’m still misunderstanding something.
Time to go out and buy myself some fake preppy pearls.
Gosh, I really don’t like my assigned avatar. It’s so depressing looking. Is there anyway you can change that for me, Bumby?