I am privileged. I am an upper-middle class, white male who was born into privilege. The day I turned 16, I had a car. I never had to worry if I would have a meal, the so-called “necessities” needed to be a cool kid in high school, or if our annual family vacation would not happen because we weren’t sure if we could afford it. I played club soccer, am in a fraternity, have most of my expenses covered for by my parents and am incredibly thankful for my privilege. I will never “check” it.
The thing about privilege is that there is a difference between flaunting it and embracing and acknowledging it. I do the latter. With my privilege, I have been able to help my classmate who needs a jacket to keep warm, a case of pencils because their parents cannot afford basic school supplies, or recently when I was able to donate to one of my fraternity’s chapters who had one of their brothers murdered, and I am proud of that.
I am thankful that I have been able to attend mission trips with my church and a number of other “privileged” youth who help people who would not normally be able to get assistance. These are the moments that make my privilege priceless, and I'm thankful for it.
My privilege has taught me to work hard for what I have. When I was 14, I got a job at Chick-Fil-A. Through countless hours of checking my phone to see when my shift was over, the late nights and countless times I had to wash my uniform to get the putrid smell of chicken out of my clothes, I’ve gained management skills that have helped me grow as a person. It instilled work ethic in me. Given, I did not need to have that job, but I was forced by my parents to get it so I would learn that I have to work for everything that comes my way.
With my privilege, I am going to school to be a nurse to help more people than I could count, who are undoubtedly worse off than I am. I am thankful for that. I am going to use my privilege to touch lives, save lives and bring life into this world, something not many people can do. I will be able to travel overseas for mission trips that I will not get paid for, but that is fine because I know that I will be supported financially and emotionally by my family and my spouse.
I’ve had the term “privileged” thrown at me more times than a major league baseball player has stepped up to bat. The difference is that I accept my privilege. I know I’m privileged and I’ll be damned if I ever apologize for it. I am thankful beyond words for the work that my grandparents and parents have because it makes me into the privileged man that I am today. The privileged man that is in school to save lives, and the privileged man who would rather donate to help others than buy that new Barbour coat that he’s had his eye on for some time. And finally, I want to thank all of those people who attempt to put me down because of my privilege. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to be comfortable with what I have and more comfortable helping others than helping myself.
