By: Shawn V. Branch
I honestly have never considered myself bougie or uppity, but I’ve been called that many times. Urban Dictionary defines bougie as, “Aspiring to be a higher class than one is and from”; Dictionary.com defines it as, “Relating to or characteristic of a person who aspires to the upper middle class or a fancy lifestyle.” I’ve decided to try and not use the term because it does not apply to me (and many others) and the term is often used in a negative way.
Recently, I was having a conversation with someone concerning a housekeeper. Now I had my first housekeeper a few years ago when I lived in Sacramento, CA. At that time, I was living in a three-bedroom, two-bath house with a yard. My partner and I started out cleaning the house but as time progressed, we were tired and found it to be a struggle. We both worked full-time jobs and had a pretty active social life. After several conversations, we decided to get a housekeeper and it was the best decision. I recall telling a close friend, who then immediately called me uppity, saying, “You should be as ashamed of yourself; you can clean that house.” I was like, whatever!
That brings me to another conversation I had with someone more recently, concerning getting another housekeeper for my current place. He was shocked that I was contemplating hiring someone to help keep my place tidy since I live in a two-bedroom, two-bath condo. Of course, I was told I was being lazy, uppity and not making good use of money. The same reasons that I decided to get my first housekeeper five years ago are still valid today:
- You don’t like to clean.
- You work a ton of hours.
- You enjoy going out or entertaining at home.
- You have kids.
- You take care of an elderly or sick family member.
- Your family is always on the go.
- You deserve it.
As adults, most of us work at least 8 hours a day/40 hours a week; when so much of our time is spent working, I know the last thing I want to do is sit home on any given weekend and clean. I had to ask myself if keeping my house tidy– when I have such a busy schedule and the means to hire someone else help– was the best use of my time. While I know not everyone may have the means or the expendable income to make this decision, this also doesn’t mean that those who are able to spend their money this way are rolling in the dough. It’s not about being bougie or uppity; it’s about enjoying life and achieving balance where possible. We have so little time on this earth, so we should spend it doing those things that really make us happy. So, when someone says you are bougie for having a housekeeper, tell them you are making the best use of your time so you can live your best life!!
