enTitled.

Sitting in a Starbucks, waiting quietly for a friend to meet;
Leaving an AirBnB with suitcases full of my own luggage; 
On a college tour, being quiet and listening, minding my own business;
Shutting my eyes after a long night of studying in a dorm common room;
Having a barbeque in a park with my friends and family;
Buying clothes in a Nordstrom Rack, paying for them and exiting the store;

You won’t call the cops on me.
No, you won’t call the cops on me.

Walking down a city street, age 13, whistles, catcalls, as I simply walk by. Fear;
By age 6, thinking boys are smarter, being taught to be “perfect” vs “brave”;
Applying for a job with a female name, vs a male one, less likely to get a call;
Your lack of belief in my pains; your decision that my health doesn’t matter;
Your private male-only gatherings, “drinks,” fear of being alone with women;
You’re too nice or too bitchy, how the f*ck do you lead? You bite your tongue;

Yea, it will hold me back.
But it won’t hold me down.

Private lessons, private help, summer programs to put together a portfolio;
The opportunity to go to the college of my choice, tuition paid in full;
No college debt, a cushion just in case, unpaid internships for “experience;”
A chance to save and invest, to achieve some semblance of stability in my 20s;
An emergency fund & retirement investments & a path to the middle class;
Never going hungry, always having a home, a room, a “how was your day?”;

Yes, I’m privileged this I know.
My privilege is a million stairs I never had to climb.

No trust fund, no worthy family name, no friendly connections to get a start;
No prep school, no etitique training, no Ivy League, no fitting in with the elite;
21. Alone. Afraid. On edge. 100s of resumes. No exit. Can’t breathe; Can’t fail;
A family gifted in judging, not loving. Blame, not empathy, greeting mistakes;
Yelling and shoving and belts snapping and listening to hateful, vicious words;
A deep-rooted guilt for merely existing. A depression that lasts a lifetime;

No life is perfect. We all have our battle scars.

Our privilege is our passport. But how far can we travel?
Our privilege is our passport. Some can’t travel far at all.