A Break to Thank

I have been in front of a computer for most of the day trying to work on my research paper. I'm not as productive as I assumed I was going to be this week, and it worries me. My eyes hurt, but I will try my best to entertain you, because I am thankful for you. And I'm always up for a story, even if I'm the one who tells it.

There once was a baby who was born  into a happy family of three white, middle-upperclass, suburban Southern Californian home-owners* (*well, they had a mortgage). The economy was in the beginning stages of a 10 year economic expansion, she was birthed quickly and without any complications (and would continue on to live without any health complications), and was taken home where she often fell asleep, pooped, and ate without much fuss. 

Barring possible deeply-repressed memories, this baby girl grew up in a home where fighting was so minimal that she has no remembrance of them except for that one time her father called her a big mouth and she locked herself in the bathroom and cried until he made a promise with her that he would never call her a mean name ever again, which he did a wonderful job of upholding (though he may have called her baby-skinned when she got sunburns on vacation and baby-mouth when something was too spicy for her). 

As a young girl, her mother and father kissed her all over her face and head, telling her how much they loved her, and she grew up happily with the knowledge that her parents adored her. And even though when she got older she would complain about the kisses and run away from them shrieking in semi-faux-disgust back into her cave of solitude (also known as her bedroom), she always secretly appreciated how they continued to show her their love. The young girl's sister didn't get angry at her for pulling out her hair while she was a baby. Whether this was because the sister was a well-adjusted child who knew she could not blame a baby for it's actions or because she already had a strong desire to have a short pixie cut as a toddler, the world may never know (the world knows, she was just a well adjusted child). 

In tandem with the love this young girl received from both her nuclear and extended family (which she was often able to visit and get visited by), the girl was also supported by well-funded (if public) schools, as she was born into a family which lived in a very good county, city, and neighborhood in the United States. Not burdened by any mental handicaps, the child was able to learn at an above-average pace and level,  and was lucky enough to be born with a strong work ethic and deep curiosity about every subject in school. Not burdened by any physical handicaps (other than the laziness she would give into as time went on), the young girl's parents signed her up for many activities in which she could exercise her able body in a variety of ways, including softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, sail-boating, scuba-diving and junior lifeguards. She was not particularly good at any of said physical activities, though it taught her qualities like patience, morals, respect, and others related good-sportsmanship. These were important to learn, as she was a tiny bit of a brat as a child. A tiny bit.  

 Her parents did not dwell on her physical appearance other than to compliment her general cuteness (which, due to genetics, she was. Which she only came to appreciate the privilege of recently), but focused mostly on her personality and mental capabilities so that she did not find that her looks were important. On that note, her parents did not allow nor offer to subscribe her to any media sources that might make her believe that increased focus on her body and it's flaws was a good idea. No magazines, but a lot of Junie B. Jones, The Magic Treehouse, Cam Jansen, Harry Potter, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and other good kids books. Good television shows that taught the right moral-sets were employed as well, but sparingly. She was encouraged to read by parents, sister, friends, teachers. And so she did. A lot.

Despite her general disinterest in clothing and other material goods (she asked solely for pudding for Christmas one year), her parents always managed to give her the things she wanted without over-saturating her with gifts and causing her to be a spoiled child, teenager, and adult (though she definitely was and is excessively privileged. But that's different from spoiled, she thinks). She was given more than she could really ask for. She was given vacations to lovely destinations, could pay for trips to amusement parks, movies and other fun activities (painting, singing lessons, writing classes, chinese tutor, midnight book releases, etc.), could pay for school supplies and trips, and even was allowed the opportunity to study Chinese outside of her high school and go to other countries to study primates (which probably got her into the college she is currently going to). She could always spend time with her parents who were never too busy to stop and hang out with her, or at least talk to her on the phone if they were across the country trying to earn money to keep her and her family secure and happy. They worked very hard to keep her happy. And she was.

Her sister was a brilliant guide to the world. She paved the way for a lot of activities and interests the young girl might not have explored if not for an older sibling with impeccable taste. This includes acting, singing, writing,  art of different kinds, reading everything in sight, Broadway music (that might have been a bad thing, though, really), Sinatra, Ingrid Michaelson, basically all music up to college, movies that made her think, Human Relations Council, Animal Rights Club, vegetarianism, thinking critically, being politically correct and aware, investing in change, being a feminist, being an advocate of everyone's rights, basically being a decent human being.

Her sister was around a lot of the time, taught her how share, shaped her sense of humor, played games with her, let her play with the older kids, and didn't get too angry when specific items were suddenly in the possession of the younger sister despite them being owned by the older sister. A good sister.

Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, she managed to surround herself with friends who had similar values as her and her family, and did not pressure her into anything all the after-school specials she never actually saw warned about. Due to her friends, family, and  education, she abstained from drugs, sex, rock and roll, all of the scary things in life that could have caused her life to spiral out of control (well, I mean, maybe rock and roll would have been fine...). It wasn't that her parents restricted her from doing these "scary" things, but they taught her about the pros and cons and set her freeeeee, with a few rules and regulations. Because of this not-too-strict, not-too-lenient parental structure, the young girl never went through a rebellious phase (though she did buy a faux-leather jacket in high school and recently has been looking into buying vegan Doc Martens, so maybe we're not out of the woods yet).  

Getting into the most recent part of the history of this young girl, her parents had the ability to pay for her entry into a small liberal arts college which she got into due to her access to education and a college counselor. Her parents, desiring her to pursue her needs and interests, did not force her to go to the most well known schools she got into, like Berkeley or UCLA (not that those aren't excellent schools that can create excellent people), but allowed her to be educated at a school that catered towards her needs of small classes, accessible professors, and a small, loving community. Instead of trying to persuade her to declare a major that could make her rich, her parents were actually a large reason why she took on English as a (second) major in college. This major has made her unabashedly happy and she probably would have felt sad and unfulfilled without it, as it is a pervasive subject in her life that brings her great joy in and out of the classroom. Her second major, Environmental Studies, has taught her a lot about the injustices of both humans and the Earth as a resource. 

Through her access to the internet, the exceptionally clever people she met at college, her classes, clubs (debate and the Bates Authors Guild especially) and independent studies through all the resources her college (directly and indirectly) has offered to her, she has managed to learn more than she ever expected a liberal arts education could teach her. 

In and out of college, she has met some of the most genuine, sweet, smart, argumentative (or agreeable. or both), affirming, creative, hilarious, invested, passionate, quirky, crazy, accepting, open-minded, critical, questioning, curious, inventive, eloquent, loving people. She had the wonderfully educational, exhilarating, lovely, confusing and painful opportunity of falling in and out and maybe in and maybe out of love. She has felt extreme sorrow, love, anger, fear, regret, guilt, joy, paranoia, dislike, forgiveness and acceptance.  She has stomped up mountains, lived in bustling cities, howled at the moon, sung to audiences while strumming a ukulele her brain helped her learn to play (the brain is an exceptional thing), kissed peoples foreheads, held their hands, hugged them, danced with them with and without musical accompaniment. She has been buried under piles of books, has jumped off of bridges and out of planes, has had snowball fights, tea dates, debate rounds, poetry readings, heart-to-hearts, cheese-making lessons, meals with people she loves, baking phases, juice-making phases, phases of all sorts of obsessions. She has lived a lot, and has been given the opportunity to live even more fully into the future.

There once was a baby who was born into privilege not many could match.

She grew up to realize it.

She is very, truly, indescribably thankful for it all.