The word Peon

This morning I met a co-worker and a good friend who earlier moved to a different group. After the customary "How ya do'in" exchanged between us I asked him how he feels in his new group. He said "Are you aware of the French word Peon, which means the employee at the bottom strata in an organization ? I feel the same these days." For the first time I heard an American using the word peon. (He was poking fun at himself by equating himself with peon which he meant as someone at lower echelons in an organization, not that someone told him to bring a glass of water). It was not surprising for him to ask me about my familiarity with the term peon as it is not so commonly used here. But to me who grew up in Bhubaneswar at a time it was mostly a city of salaried people Peon was not a strange but quite a familiar word. I bet more Indians know the word 'peon' than the Americans do. The government quarters we lived in where I grew up had the Peon quarters adjacent to us. I do remember some of my friends from our block were barred by their parents to mix with those kids on the other side of the block lest they will be corrupted with bad influence. The narrow road was like the great barrier reef, which separated a common people speaking a common language by nothing but an artificial class barrier based on false vanity. For them it was a no go area. We had no such parochial parental guidance. My sisters and I had no compulsion in making friends with kids our own age living in those quarters. When TV came in 1982 they used to come to our house to watch cricket and Sunday movies. My mother used to bring PAKODAS (a common afternoon snack in India) for all to share. When I visit Bhubaneswar I prefer to and feel safer to drive a Moped (LUNA) which makes it easier to navigate the unruly traffic. Few have told me " APANA AMERIKA RU ASI KANA LUNA CHADHUCHANTI, AJIKALI PEON BI LUNA CHALAU NAHANTI". It means "How come you coming from America ride a Luna(a popular moped) whereas even peons these days don't ride them ". I refrain from answering their stupid question because it's silliness speaks volumes about them. But I always wished I told them it is non of their freaking business whether I ride a moped or ride as a Mahout on an elephant.  And what peons ride today has got nothing to do with what I should or shouldn't ride tomorrow. In this context it reminds me of an adage about Abraham Lincoln. Once someone saw Lincoln tying his shoelaces and asked him " Mr. President, you tie your own shoelaces ?" Yes, I do responded Lincoln. Then he went on " Whose shoelaces you tie".