Yes, I AM Privileged

Be honest—when you look at me, you see the privileged.

You might even call it brown privilege.

It started with the parents, loving, stable, and willing to pay for college.

There was, of course, no military service.

Then came the wife, cut from a similar cloth.

By pursuing school excessively, we were able to postpone the real world for years.

Eventually came the two kids, the four-bedroom house, and the playset.

The purpose, of course, was to be able to brag to other brown people, or so I was told.

Unfortunately, by that standard, I was just average.

The house was supposed to be more spacious and the cars more German.

Even worse, the first child—destined for pre-med at an Ivy—ended up chasing music at some anonymous place in the Bible Belt.

But far more revolting than that belt are two others, which combined have condemned me to mahogany mediocrity.

Yet it is in this purgatory that I have realized, yes, I am privileged.

Let me start with a little science, assuming that is still safe.

Open your periodic table and find the atomic number of 26.*

Now subtract 20, and find the atomic number of 6.**

Go ahead and make an alloy.***

When you get a chance, add the elixir of life****, mixing in the atomic number of 8.*****

You’ll find that you’ve made ferric oxide.

Now, if you’ll allow for additional science, let me continue.

Take the elixir of life and spread it out over 7,323 square miles at a maximum depth of 802 feet.

Once done, take a mass of cold air and blow it over the large puddle.

You should find that the air accumulates warmth and moisture.

Allow the air to continue moving past the puddle and come into contact with a cold surface.

Eventually, as the cooling air releases its accumulated moisture, you’ll note that the cold surface changes color.

When it’s all said and done, you’ll have a belt covered in ferric oxide and white privilege.

In other words, you’ll recognize why I, too, consider myself privileged.

Because not just anyone can live in the Rust Belt and Snow Belt.

*Iron

**Carbon

***Steel

****Water

*****Oxygen