News 1130’s Twitter feed is telling us to avoid Point Roberts, because people are buying Multimax lotto tickets and picking up Christmas parcels. What they neglect to tell you is that it’s really good advice at any time.
Day: December 17, 2013
Privilege has its memberships!
White.
Middle class.
University educated.
IQ over 120 – as at last time I was tested…. my BPI on Lumosity is over 1250 and I am in the top percentiles (for all the categories for my age and sex).
Reproductively successful ciswoman.
No birth defects.
All senses currently intact.
Mobile enough to walk every day.
Able to obtain and use a driver’s license.
City dweller all my life with access to cultural amenities and public transit.
Access to health care at low cost including midwifery, physio and eyecare.
Member of an extremely supportive religious community.
Raised by both parents.
Both parents university educated.
Not abused during upbringing (not sexually or physically, no alcoholism, drug abuse or mental illness in family of origin).
Up until fairly recently, consistently employed and employable. Large number of skills mostly in an office setting, but it amazes me sometimes when I look back over my life and see what I’ve learned to do.
Never institutionalized for drug or alcohol abuse or mental illness.
Never jailed, arrested or detained for questioning.
Never randomly stopped by police except in a car for a drunk driving check, and even then I talked my way out of the one time I had been drinking and driving. (I know, right?)
Never had an unpleasant personal encounter with the police.
Raised atheist/agnostic.
Raised as an appreciator of reason, science, science fiction and imagination.
Raised in a house full of books, music, and intellectual appreciation.
Always had a tv in the house and access to a library card.
Able at one point to afford to purchase a house.
Have a bank account.
Have a secure place to sleep at night.
Access to abundant food, clean water and fresh air, in my house or in walking distance.
Access to land to grow food on if I wish.
Not currently addicted to drugs or alcohol and apart from over the counter stuff there’s nothing in the house. (OK, I think there’s an airplane bottle of rum somewhere in the house….)
Although I am not neurotypical, my brain challenges are not sufficient to prevent me from enjoying employment, relationships, creative endeavours.
Passport! Just remembered that. It’s a privilege I share with more than 50 percent of Canadians but globally it’s a huge privilege to have a Canadian passport.
Access to all vaccinations (I even got Hep C vaccinations when it turned out I could get them for free).
Access to refrigeration and subzero storage.
Access to appliances such as washing machines and cook stoves.
Access to internet 24.7 except when Shaw loses its mind.
Able to speak, read, and write English at a very high level. It’s a privilege I’d trade for nothing, too.
Access to world class continuing education on a bewildering range of subjects.
Living in a big house with an excellent roommate, who is honest and sane and helps keep me safe and healthy.
What’s YER privilege?