My Privileged Father's Day

I had an amazing day yesterday. 

It started with breakfast with bacon, eggs, and croissants. Followed by Pickle-ball, soccer with my kids, a few hours at the pool, BBQ and the Mandolorian on Disney+. 

While laying at the pool enjoying a glass of wine, I got to thinking just how lucky I am. And in the shadow of Juneteenth how much of that luck is privilege. 

I, as a white upper class male in California, am dripping with privilege. I was born into a loving family with talented, educated and hardworking parents. My parents bailed me out of trouble as a teenager many times. I went to college out of state and have 0 student loans. I got into Silicon Valley just before the housing crash, and managed to navigate my way to Facebook while their stock was at an all time low. 

To say that my life is a reflection of my own hard work would be naive at best. Sure I am hard working and I have not managed to squander away the fortunate circumstances that I have been blessed with, but this is certainly no rags to riches scenario. 

This is why today I am taking a moment to recognize all of the people I have known personally and those that I don’t who don’t have the privileges that I do. This is inclusive of kids I knew from broken homes who’s parents struggled with addiction. This includes people who suffer with mental illness and can’t function the same way I do in society. And this includes hard working capable people who could easily improve their socio economic status if it weren’t for racial biases in our culture, institutions, and policies. 

We have done a lot to improve over the past 3 years since the riots in 2020, but there is still a lot more to be done. It should start with education, which is why I took a moment this morning to brush up on my understanding of White Privilege and how it continues to play out in society today. By simply keeping it in mind, I have taken the first step toward change, because it will be more top of mind when I see a policy or injustice that warrants my support or action. 

If you come from similar circumstances, I encourage you to do the same. Here is a link to get you started.