As I was sitting in my American Government class this past semester, I became horrified by the generation I am a part of. I was intently listening to a fellow classmate of mine go on and on about how he isn't privileged and how he earned everything he currently has by working hard. Please keep in mind, like me, this student is white. I'm not here to talk about white privilege and whether or not it exists. I'm here to talk about how ignorant the Millennial Generation has become as a whole. This student, who will not be named, could not see everything he has been given in his picturesque life. He goes to one of best liberal arts colleges in the nation. He lives in state of the art dorm rooms. He eats at a nationally recognized dining hall. Not to mention that same dining hall has a nationally renowned dessert section. He owns a car, gifted to him from his parents. There is nothing else in the entire world he needs. Only tangible things that he wants. But words from his own mouth, he isn't privileged. That sickens me.
Yes, I have the same things, and maybe even more. I'm lucky enough to be able to participate in athletics in college. Only a small percentage of female athletes ever will. There is one difference between him and me. I am grateful for everything that has played out in my favor. Yes, I'm privileged, but more importantly, I'm grateful and not ignorant. Privilege does not have to have a negative connotation. I've worked really hard in academics, athletics, and multiple summer-time jobs, but just because I work hard it does not mean that I've earned everything that has gone my way. I have two loving parents who would do any and everything to support me. However, they are the kind of parents who are slowly showing me how to handle things on my own.
I never had an allowance. For my thirteenth birthday, I ironed shirts for 50 cents a piece in order to save up for a Wii that I so desperately wanted. My parents are reasonable. They want me to become independent. The last thing they want is for me to be reliant on their wallets. That is something so valuable that I will never be able to repay them for it.
I am lucky. Most things have gone my way or I have been able to problem-solve and reach another optimal outcome, but I'm not blind to the fact that I am privileged. I'm grateful to attend the university that I do. More than anything else, I am lucky to have the things that I do. I would never say I did it on my own. I had lots of help. But it saddens me, that my fellow Millennials will never see it the way I do.
