Reality of hustlers of Windsor

It seems the class system, based on your level of income, is everywhere, even in unexpected places. That’s the hallmark of our economic system. [Photo: Courtesy]

 

It’s assumed that all golfers are men and women of means, occupying the upper levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs. They walk confidently, talking a language unintelligible to the vast majority. They talk of tees, pars, birdies, eagles and heads up.

But unknown to the general public, golfers and their clubs are also classified.

At the top are country clubs like Windsor, Karen and Muthaiga. We could add Leisure and Vipingo. Next would be VetLab, Royal, Sigona, Limuru, Nyali, and then the rest all the way to Ndumberi. The classification is based on the joining fees and the cost of food and other services.

This reality came home to me recently at the Windsor Golf and Country Club. After nine holes, we stopped to recharge by eating a snack. We were four people, and I won’t disclose the names of my partners for security reasons.

As we sat, one golfer decided it was time to be generous and requested the attendant to give each caddy a soda. But he asked for the price first. It was Sh200 per bottle.

He quickly changed his mind, and each caddy instead got two bananas. Each fruit cost Sh25. We wanted to take tea, but on realizing it was Sh350 a cup, our sponsor quickly ordered us sodas.

It seems the class system, based on your level of income, is everywhere, even in unexpected places. That’s the hallmark of our economic system.

We have hotels that are classified based on prices and other facilities. Hospitals are also classified, as are schools and even residential areas.

Maybe I’m being too philosophical, but the class system has become part of our lives. With the rise of materialism and decline of religion, the class system is getting more entrenched.

Some argue convincingly that the rise of corruption is about shortcuts to higher social economic classes, instead of taking the long, winding road littered with hard work and sweat.

Karl Marx and others dreamt of the day social economic classes would end, with the proletariat taking over from the bourgeoisie. That dream turned into a nightmare as communism came crumbling down and was replaced by capitalism and its classes.

Hard reality

Today, the class system has become mainstream, with marketers focusing their adverts on specific demographics. Each class is determined to move on to the next. The hard reality is that this doesn’t happen often and there’s no shortage of new ways of classifying us – as noted on golf courses.

A majority of us think that shifting to higher classes will lead to happiness. But to most people, this happiness is an illusion, akin to catching a rainbow – we only discover that after getting there.

Despite breathing and eating and finally leaving this planet, we focus more on what sets us apart instead of what equalizes us. That’s how much meaninglessness has plagued our small planet. Even religion has not succeeded in making society classless.

Should we give up making society equal and leave it to nature or God or whoever you believe in? Is the class system a sign of progress or retrogression?