Category: Family

Understanding Privilege: A Reflection on Abilities

~ Linda Wright

How much do any of us think about our abilities until we find ourselves unable. Is anyone truly appreciative of the kidneys we have until one or both of them fail and we need dialysis or a transplant in order to urinate? Are most people grateful for mashed potatoes until the doctor orders us to be on a liquid diet for a month? I believe that it is part of human nature to assume that everyone can walk easily, climb stairs, eat whatever they feel like, read printed words, until they cannot. I have struggled with resentment towards the people who seem blind to my disabilities. I grumble about people who seem inconsiderate or unaware that what is easy for most does not mean easy for all. Still I don’t want anyone to feel ashamed that they can do things I can’t. I don’t want sympathy. What I want is for people to think about asking what I need to be included.

To be honest, I can take many things for granted that others around me can’t. When I go into the grocery store, I am able to buy enough food to keep me from being malnourished and hungry. When I am driving my car and see a police car behind me, I am not afraid that I will be pulled over and aggressively interrogated and perhaps killed even though I have committed no crime. I don’t have to switch from the language that I use most fluently to the language of the person interviewing me for a job. I also don’t need to declare my gender since it matches my appearance.

Privilege comes in many forms. It can be a crippling disease if left untreated.

Day 13 (of 31 days of free writing)

Ghosts of Our Parents: The Traits We Inherit

~ Linda Wright

Some mornings I stare into the mirror and see my mother’s gap-tooth smile grinning back at me. My wavy hair is my father’s gift to me, although he considered it a curse. When I was much younger I didn’t see these strong resemblances, or perhaps I didn’t want to recognize them. Although there were things I admired in each of my parents there were also traits I actively tried not to repeat. Whether it is genetics or childhood imprinting, I find myself slipping into characteristics that I had hoped not to replicate. At times I feel as if the ghosts of my parents are making words come out of my mouth or leading me into actions that were not my intention. It’s a bit scary and a bit comforting at the same time.

Day 12 (of 31 days of free writing)

Consumerism and Its Impact on Baby Boomers

~ Linda Wright

It was my generation that was the first to adopt consumerism as a value. If we were privileged enough we baby boomers stared wide-eyed at television commercials and longed for the newest toy. Whether it was Play-Doh, or the Magic 8-ball, or Mr. Potato Head, Barbie or Ken, most of these must-have objects were made of plastic. Later we graduated to Frisbees, vinyl records, and Hula Hoops. By the time we were teenagers we were pretty sure that money could buy happiness. We craved cars, jewelry, the most fashionable garments. Some of us still consider shopping a form of therapy when we are feeling longly or sad or bored. Purchasing, we were told, was also good for the economy. It was downright patriotic. If you didn’t have the cash to pay, credit cards were easy to get, although some of us learned they were not quite so easy to pay off.

In feeding this obsession we overflowed landfills, created islands in the ocean out of plastic waste, shipped our trash to other countries. So I find myself wondering why I have all this junk and how can I dispose of it without doing further harm to the environment.

Day 11 (of 31 days of free writing)

Embracing the 31-Day Free Writing Challenge

~ Linda Wright

On October first, a friend started doing the 31 days of free writing challenge on her blog. Without asking what it was all about, I jumped in. All I understood was that you are supposed to write 5 minutes each day, just write anything. I haven’t written much in the past few years, except for short messages on email, and I felt rusty, stiff like a squeaky hinge. I thought it might get me back in the practice of writing for the fun of it. I have never been good at following rules. The five minute time limit is just not working for me. No matter who said it (and it was not Mark Twain) it really does take longer to write something short.

Day 10 (of 31 days of free writing)

Breathe and Let Go

~ Linda Wright

Worrying is a habit that I try hard to break. Breathe, I tell myself and anyone else who tells me they are worrying. I was trained at a young age by my mother who was a world class worrier. It was a survival tool to think about the what-ifs in order to avoid catastrophe. Children need to be taught not to crawl through the bars at the zoo to pet the leopard. As an adult who has learned to avoid most potential risks, I not only don’t need to spend my time and energy fretting about things that might could happen. I’m often asked about why I don’t worry more and it’s not that I don’t worry, its that I try to stop worry from turning into an obsession. It seems to me that most of the things I have worried about in the past never happened and if they did worrying didn’t stop them from happening. That logic, however, is not enough for me to call a halt to anxiety, so I breathe deep and seek more positive uses for my imagination.

Day 9 (of 31 days of free writing)