“We tend to believe that accusations of privilege imply we have it easy, which we resent because life is hard for nearly everyone.” (22) I was given the chance to travel the country with my parents thanks to the military (lived in 5 different states). I’ve never seen them get into any heated argument I didn’t think they could figure out. This summer i get to travel by myself to visit a close friend. My family is able to take family vacations every year, sometimes twice a year. If my has undergone any throughout my life, I was unaware of it. I’ve never felt to pressures of financial pitfalls.
Financially– middle/upper class family, I drive a car, my parents give me a weekly allowance so that I don’t have to work, they want me to have money to do things throughout the week without having to add a job because that could take away from school work. My parents both have the GI Bill that will be used to pay for my education, I’m pretty much set. Following high school, I plan on attending college somewhere and I’m not really worried about the money.
Education– school comes easily to me and unlike many people in the world, I get educated for free and am required to do so many years of school (more than most places). I’m only 17 and when I look at my life I know I am provided a lot of things that most people aren’t.
“People often misunderstand me, misunderstand my motivations. Bringing home a grade less than an A was not an option so I didn’t.” (16) I enjoyed the sense of control I felt by being good at school when there were other parts of my life that were desperately out of control. “I enjoyed being the best and making my parents proud. “The notion that I should be fine with the status quo even if I am not wholly affected by the status quo is repulsive.” (16) I’m raising my voice to show all the ways we have room to want more, to do better.” (10) “I am just one woman trying to make sense of this world we live in. “…let us (try to) become the feminists we would like to see moving through the world.” (9) I am ashamed of my fear because mostly the disavowal was grounded in the fear that I would be ostracized, that I would be seen as a troublemaker, that I would never be accepted by the mainstream.” (8) Anytime I remember how I once disavowed feminism, I am ashamed of my ignorance. “I was called feminist, and what I heard was, “You are an angry, sex-hating, man-hating victim lady person.” This caricature is how feminists have been warped by the people who fear feminism most, the same people who have the most to lose when feminism succeeds.
“I disavowed feminism because when I was called a feminist, the label felt like an insult.” (7) I am just trying- trying to support what I believe in, trying to do some good in this world, trying to make some noise with my writing while also being myself…” (7) I am not trying to say I have all the answers. “I embrace the label of bad feminist because I am human. Feminism has helped me believe my voice matters, even in this world where there are so many voices demanding to be heard.” (6) “Feminism has certainly helped me find my voice.