I live in Heliopolis, I work in Heliopolis, my family and in-laws live in Heliopolis. The community, however, dictates that I have to go to the club in Zamalek. Can you see that something just doesn’t add up? I sure can.
Generation after generation, everyone in my family has always been a member at one of the most prestigious A class sports clubs in Zamalek. Needless to say, this membership is now a heritage that goes down from father to son and daughter. Everyone goes there; it’s now called “The Club”. I, being who I am, said no. I said I have no time in my schedule to drive all the way across Cairo so my children can attend their swimming and gymnastics training. Everyday, seven days a week, 30 days a month, all across the year.
“They stared at me like I was telling them I am thinking of moving to Israel!”
This was not happy news for my family; in fact they could not swallow it. They stared at me like I was telling them I am thinking of moving to Israel! I tried explaining that I have no time in my busy schedule, and that Cairo’s traffic goes against my will to remain loyal to “The Club”. So I took the decision they were all fearing, I told them I joined a smaller, less prestigious, B class sports club around my house. Jaws Dropped.
“The social class your children are about to mingle in, are you OK with that?”
Yes, you read it right, I was asked this question. At this day and age, some people still believe in social classes! I can not disagree though, I know exactly what I am missing out on by choosing not to go to “The Club”.
“At this day and age, some people still believe in social classes!”
I am missing out on pretentious people, people that dress up and go to the club like they are heading to a party. I missing out on designer bags, new fashion trends, million pounds cars, the best banking service I can possibly get, hot trendy latte mochachino frappino coffee.
“I am missing out on pretentious people, people that dress up and go to the club like they are heading to a party.”
The question here pops into my head; why do we go to a “sports club” in the first place? I know for a fact that I go to the club for training and athletic purposes. I pay all this money to enjoy training services for my children, so they have a healthy and balanced lifestyle. I make sure my kids exercise on daily bases because I want them to be better people. I do not care if they are dressed in 1,000LE running shoes, or if they are wearing the average 500LE. I go to the club because they have an Olympic swimming pool, a clean one. They have a running track, that is used for fitness purposes. The only reason why I go to the club is to provide my children with a balanced healthy lifestyle.
“I do not care if they are dressed in 1,000LE running shoes, or if they are wearing the average 500LE.”
No one can ever say that a sports club is also a place where children make friends and create a social life. Society frowns upon people making friends with different social classes. They label certain places, and their visitors, in accordance to how much money they have. Does society know that 70% of their “rich people” are of C class, according to their demographics and psychographics? Money is not, and should not, be the issue. This is not how we choose friends and mingle with them. Manners, characters and lifestyles; this is my criteria of making friends; and this is what I am raising my boy and girl on. Be friends with the people that spend their life trying to be better, that work on their physical and mental well-being. I am not raising a model, or fashionista; I am raising an athletic, smart, well-behaved citizen. It’s not about how expensive your shoes and bag are, it’s about the brains and heart you have. Be nice to one another and stop labeling people, because those who do not go to “The Club” are as great and as good as it gets.
Nora Moustafa
Operations Head
Marwa Fayed’s Toy Run
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