“Having a family that loves you. I grew up in a pretty loving family. It was somewhat dysfunctional, but my mother loves me, as does my sister and grandparents. We were always a close family and we helped each other when possible. We were always supportive, too.”
Netlfix
“I went to school with people whose parents couldn’t have given a fuck less about them. I mean, straight up, just didn’t give a shit if their kids lived or died. If your parents actively tried to keep you off drugs and off the streets and were emotionally supportive and not abusive, count your blessings. It’s a fucked up world we live in and plenty of people are trying to navigate it completely alone.”
“Having a bed. Between the ages of 8 and 10, my siblings and I had to sleep on the floor because we lived in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment. The only bed belonged to my grandfather (a 70-year-old man), and the couch went to my mother (a woman with severe back problems). The rest of us had to sleep on blankets and pillows.”
ABC
“I remember turning 12 and finally getting to sleep in my own bed after three years of not having one. It was euphoria.”
“I’ve traveled a bit (which is a privilege in its own right, no matter how hard I’ve had to work to be able to do so) and everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve met people who either speak English or can direct me to someone who does. You can get by in most places with the smallest smattering of words and phrases in the local language. Transit centers usually have English signs. English is the lingua franca in every hostel I’ve stayed at in Russia, Portugal, Peru, Mozambique, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It’s funny to listen to so many Americans complain about foreigners not knowing English, and yet we generally also don’t take the time to learn the language of whatever place we are traveling to.”
“Where I’m from, education is paid through very high taxes. We ‘get paid’ so we can focus on school and aren’t forced to drop out or take a giant student loan.”
“I can’t fathom the amount of times people dismiss those who don’t have personal transportation and how public transportation isn’t always going to match up to their conveniences. Like no Susan, I can’t be wherever you want me to be in 10 minutes. It’s also a huge barrier to employment opportunities, depending on where you live.”
“Being able to choose who governs you. Most humans who have ever been alive have not had a say in the matter. A larger portion of currently living humans have that privilege than at any point in human history.”
“The ability to be ‘zero waste.’ For example, if you have a medical condition that requires a lot of medication, or many medical procedures in general, you have to use tons of plastic and other disposable materials all the time. People who choose to be zero waste don’t realize that it can’t be a choice for some.”
While privilege may look different for everyone, this is definitely a good perspective to have! Do you have any that this list didn’t cover? Let us know.
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