White Male Privilege

This Is The Reality Of White Male Privilege

Page 1 of 2

The snowstorm came out of nowhere, and I was pissed drunk. I tried for almost an hour to flag a cab, but they were all full. Finally, I approached a stranger and asked if he could help. He was heading in the right direction and got me more than halfway home. Then I was able to catch a ride from another stranger to take me the rest of the way.



Usually, hailing a cab is the kind of stuff I never worry about. If a cab is available it will always stop for me. I also don’t worry about getting into cars with strange men.

When I see cops, the only stuff I worry about is the number on my speedometer. I certainly don't fear for my life.



Other stuff I don’t worry about is kissing my wife in public. No one is going to snicker or gives us hate stares.



When I need to get somewhere, I never consider access issues. Stairs are things I don’t have to worry about.



When I go to the doctor I don’t worry about having my real problems ignored and just being told to lose weight. I don’t fear going into Dairy Queen and have people whisper about my dietary choices behind my back, or even coming up to me and saying “Should you really be eating that?”



Back when I was I marketing executive, having my ideas marginalized was stuff I never worried about. Want to know what kind of stuff I did worry about? Having my ideas too readily accepted. I worried that just because I was a white guy with an MBA that people were fearful of offering real, constructive feedback. Yeah, poor me.



But I never worried about landing that job or getting that raise or getting that promotion.



When I moved into a new house I never had to worry about people muttering that it was going to drive down property values or that the neighborhood was going to hell.



Being asked where I’m from in the country I was born in is the kind of stuff I’ve never had to worry about. I’ve also never had to worry about being kicked out of this country or being blocked from entering it because of where I came from or what god I prayed to.



“Feed the kids or pay the rent” is the kind of stuff I’ve never once had to worry about.



Other stuff I’ve never had to worry about is politicians, preachers and even pharmacists choosing what I do with my body.



No-fly list or being hassled by security? The customs agent with the rubber glove is the kind of stuff I’ve never had to worry about. I also don’t worry about people not wanting to sit next to me on the plane or having them mutter and scoff because I need a seat belt extender.



Being shamed by society because of the number of sexual partners I had was the kind of stuff I never worried about. If I pass out drunk at a party the worst violation my body would experience is being drawn on with a Sharpie. Having someone spike my drink is stuff I never worry about. I also never worry about someone losing their shit if I turn down their sexual advances.



I’ve never had to worry about how much skin I was showing. And when I go for a run in a remote area, the only animals I worry about are quadrupeds.