Privilege

I see myself as privileged. Not in the way that society sees people as privileged, no. I mean, I only am privileged in that way because of the fact that I'm a white male (and a tan white male at that), but I have some economic privilege from my family, and more importantly, I have a loving family and support that is beyond comprehensible to most people. I feel loved more often than the majority of how others do and I feel important because of the way that I am able to continue to draw upon my life as someone who is fully devoted to making the world a better place. The privilege comes in a form of full and uninhibited love that I get from others that descends even more so than I would ever dream. This excitement comes from having so many opportunities to do well and fully have compassion for others that I feel lucky to know. You see, privilege in the context of what society thinks, I don't have much of that: I am an out person with a few differing abilities who is an unconventional kind of religion who grew up in a broken family who gets help from the government and doesn't fit in the mold of conventional education. As far as complete and loving privilege from many people? I am totally and completely privileged and lucky to have all the friends I do and all the support that I have is incredible. It makes me feel blessed.

Realizations

There are realizations that I've felt and felt often in adult life. To avoid too much reading and time wasted, I am going to write down five of them:

1) Life isn't fair: no matter what I do and what I try to do to get people to appreciate me, not everyone is going to do that for me. While I've done this kind of realization on my own, I also realize that life isn't fair for a lot of people, not just me. Anyone who says life is fair hasn't lived a life that is hard at all. And I would find that hard to find.

2) I'm not immortal: With extended time off from high-impact sports, I feel extensively better. And I probably will always feel that way when I don't do them. Which means I'm mortal. I can do crazy things like the dance marathon and be fine for a while, but I can also do crazy things like basketball in the heat for a few hours and injure myself greatly. It's all a point of being smart.

3) When you make a mistake twice, it's a choice: This is the truest statement ever. I have made plenty of mistakes over my lifetime and it's true that some of them have become choices. Dance all night and drink four energy drinks in a weekend just to stay afloat? Mistake. Camp in a tent with two close female friends? Mistake. Scare people on Halloween and be out until 3 AM? mistake. Almost get arrested on the 4th of July? choice. and on it goes.....................

4) My family is more than blood: All the people that have stuck by me over the years, near and far, and have appreciated, loved, and found me to be compassionate in all my doing, they are besties and they are family. The people who contently love me fully are family. The people who will always be there for me are family. In my opinion, my family is a lot more than blood- it's the company I keep.

5) School is hard: Enough said in those three words right there.

Great lessons! IJB