Today’s writing prompt on Five Minute Friday is Privilege.
Whoa Nelly, I have such strong feelings about this word. I really don’t think I will even scratch the surface in five minutes but we’ll see what comes out.
Five minutes are on the timer…GO!
I have lived a life of privilege. From the moment i was born forty-two years ago to this very minute, life has been handed to me on a silver platter. The definition of privilege is this: a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people.
Yup, that’s me.
I’m white, married, kids, upper-middle class, live in the bible belt surrounded by people who have similar faith believe systems. I have two parents who have always been available to help and support me and the same goes for my husband. One great big life of privilege.
I’m painfully aware of the advantage I have over most of the world simply because I was dealt a really good hand at birth. All of those things give me a special advantage over anyone who was not born into the group that enjoys the benefit of being in the in crowd and a part of the hierarchy that makes all of the rules. The one things that give me a disadvantage, the area of life where advantage is taken away, is the fact that I’m a woman. But I still have it much easier and better than most.
I get really hot under the collar when people poo-poo the whole “white privilege” thing. Not appreciating what we have been freely given turns privilege into a weapon that can be held over those without the same privileges and advantages. Throughout history my privileged group have been the ones to hold all the power, to make all the rules, and thus in turn, to make sure that they stay in a place of immunity. Not appreciating the privileges we enjoy, blinds us to the suffering and needs of others. It turns a compassionate heart into a cynical one and widens the gap between us and them.
STOP
Oh my word…there is so much more to say in regards to privilege. Instead of continuing I will just leave you with this last thought and ask you to think about your own privilege.
We all have something that give us privilege and advantage over someone else. Consider your own privilege and how it may inform your view of the world. How does it effect the way you view and treat those who are not in your particular “privileged” group?
Jeannie Prinsen
Hi, I’m next door to you at #37 in the FMF linkup today. I really appreciate your post. That last paragraph fits so well with how I approached the prompt — asking ourselves how our privilege (and acknowledging the existence of our privilege) affects how we see the world.
I agree that this word is way too big for five minutes. It got so many ideas going in my mind, which is a good thing. I appreciated the challenge – and I’m glad to have been hear to read your thoughts.
Stephanie Clinton
Thanks for stopping by. I love prompts like this because it opens the floodgates for longer posts.