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My Birthday
On September 1, 1989, I was born into a world of middle class, white privilege. I inherently received all of the privilege that comes with my skin color and class. I don't have to worry about learning the social customs of others in my country, I don't have to worry about being discriminated against because of the color of my skin, etc. -
Wait. I'm not one of the boys?
I grew up having two little boys as my best friends. We did everything together. It wasn't until I was four that I had my first real instance of realization that I was different from them. While playing football in the backyard one summer afteroon, the boys took their shirts off to cool down. I did the same and was promtly taken aside by my dad. He told me that because I was a girl, I wasn't allowed to play outside with my shirt off. He said I was different from Thomas and Nathan. -
Different Standards for my Brother
John was not under nearly as much pressure as me to make good grades and was given much more freedom socially. He always had a later curfew than I did and was allowed to do more unsupervised activities at a younger age. This is a clear instance of difference that I have experienced in my life. Society and my parents both believe that girls need more protection from the world than boys do. -
Guys Lift Weights, Girls Do Cardio
The few instances in my life that have left me feeling marginalized all involve the gym. Beginning with my weight lifting class in highschool, I have been taught that a girl's place in the gym is far from the weight lifting equipment. On the first day of my weight lifting class, the few girls were quickly shown to the open gym to do aerobic stations while the guys in the class received their orientation to the weight lifting equipment. -
Nicaragua Trips: Difference, Privilege, & Marginalization
My trips to Nicaragua opened my eyes to a very different world than my own. The school I spent time in was so drastically different from mine at home. These differences helped me to realize how priviliged we are to have the quality of public education that we have. At times I felt marginalized because of my race. -
No Student Loans = More Privilege
After graduating from college, my best friend Caitlin and I moved in together. I was extremely fortunate in that my parents paid for my entire college tuition for me. I never realized just how privileged this made me in college, but it became obvious after graduation. Although we both got decent jobs with similar salaries, Caitlin was forced to be far more frugal than I was, as she was having to pay back her student loans. -
"Living in Sin"
In the past ten years, my brother has lived with 4 of his girlfriends and has never received any criticism or resistence from my parents about this. This year, I moved in with my boyfriend of two years, and I was reminded, once more, of my parents double standards for me because of my gender. Because I am a female, my parents believe that I MUST be married before it is alright for me to live with my boyfriend, an issue they never addresses with my brother.
